Category Archives: Family Lines

Ancestor Sketch – Anna Maria (Oertli) Trumpi

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Don Taylor

nna Maria Oertli was born in 1823 in Ennenda, Canton Glarus, Switzerland. She married Bernhard Trümpy and lost an infant daughter during the hungry winter of 1847. She spent her last years in Lincoln Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, near her son Fred. This ancestor sketch follows my wife’s 3rd great-grandmother from the Swiss Alps to Elizabeth Cemetery, along with the questions her records still leave open. Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestor Sketch, Darling-Huber | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

John Michael Gleason’s Birthdate: Untangling Nine Conflicting Sources

Posted on August 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

John Michael Gleason has nine different birthdates across the records — from 1850 to 1854. Here’s how weighing census math against an exact death date narrowed the field to one preferred date, with a likely alternate held in reserve. Continue reading →

Posted in Raidt-Langford Project, Censuses, Research & Methodology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Confirming Uncle Russ’s Military Service

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Don Taylor

Brown-Montran LineBy Don Taylor When I set out to confirm Russell’s Korean War service, my search on Fold3 turned up only his draft card — no service record at all, which genuinely surprised me given how confident I was about … Continue reading →

Posted in Brown-Montran, Military History/Conflicts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Russell Erwin Kees (1927–2016)

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Don Taylor

Ancestor SketchFamily line: Brown-MontranBy Don Taylor Identity Question How did Russell Erwin Kees — born Russell Erwin Clark Amsterdam to Madonna Mae Montran and Samson Clark Amsterdam, and later known by an unofficial surname taken from his mother’s partner (a … Continue reading →

Posted in Brown-Montran, Ancestor Sketch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Charles B Hazelton (1890-1951)

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Don Taylor

Welch-Harris ProjectWelch-Hazelton Line — Ancestor #10By Don Taylor Charles Bernard Hazelton was born on 13 December 1890 in Biddeford, York County, Maine.[1] He was the son of Thomas Hazelton and Margaret Clare. The family surname appears in early records as … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestor Sketch, Maine History, Welch-Harris Project, Ancestor Features | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment