Category Archives: Family Lines

Amanda Taft Whitney (1798–1872): An Ancestor Sketch

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Don Taylor

Born in Massachusetts in 1798 and carried west as an infant by her migrating family, Amanda Taft Whitney spent her life in Broome County, New York — raising ten children and outliving most of her generation. Her story is unusually well-documented. Read on to meet a woman the census records refused to forget. Continue reading →

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Ancestor Sketch – Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858)

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Don Taylor

Anna Maria DĂĽrst was born in 1770 in Diesbach, Glarus, Switzerland — a mountain canton that would shape her world for nearly nine decades. She married Bernhard TrĂĽmpi in 1806 and raised a family in EnnetbĂĽhls. If Patrick Wild’s research holds, her ancestry may trace all the way back to Charlemagne. Continue reading →

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Johann “John” Huber (1880–1948) & The Pfeinclauf Register

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Don Taylor

A newly examined Swiss Familienregister reveals the full family of Johann “John” Huber — Ancestor #14 in the Darling-Huber line — born 1880 in Windlach, Canton ZĂĽrich, and the son of farmer Johann Jakob Huber and Katharina NĂĽsslingen. Seven children, one emigrant, and two words in the remarks column: in Amerika. This sketch brings John’s Swiss origins into focus for the first time. Continue reading →

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Warren – Surname Saturday

Posted on February 28, 2026 by Don Taylor

My recent discovery that I likely descend from Richard Warren of the Mayflower opened an entirely new ancestral pathway. The Warren surname, of Norman-English origin, traces through Plymouth Colony and back into medieval England, with a purported connection to Charlemagne. This Surname Saturday explores the name’s origin, geographical distribution, and my documented Warren lineage from Mary (Warren) Bartlett to earlier de Warren ancestors. Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Grandma Donna

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Happy Birthday rememberance of my grandmother, Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran (1893–1976). She lived a complex and fascinating life that extended far beyond her vaudeville years. Born in Albion, Michigan, she married several times, later settled in Michigan and Minnesota, and ultimately donated her body to science. This remembrance reflects both documented facts and the enduring personal legacy she left to her family. Continue reading →

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