Category Archives: Brown-Montran
Russell Erwin Kees (1927–2016)
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 Kwajalein, Kees, Michigan, veteran, Panama, Amsterdam, Korean War, Vaudeville, 60 Minutes II, Brown/Montran, Southwestern High School, Arizona
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Five Revolutionary War Ancestors in My Brown-Montran Line
Five Revolutionary War patriots, two family branches, and a couple of “small world” surprises hiding in my Brown-Montran family tree. Continue reading
Happy Birthday Grandma Donna
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
Taylor – Surname Saturday
The Taylor surname traces an occupational origin rooted in England and extends through multiple generations of my family from 17th-century New England to 19th-century Michigan. This article examines three documented Taylor ancestors—John Taylor, Rhoda Taylor, and Fanny Taylor—highlighting their place in early colonial settlement, frontier warfare, Atlantic migration, and American industrial expansion. Continue reading
Posted in Surname Saturday, Brown-Montran, Massachusetts Genealogy
Tagged John Taylor 1641, Montran, Fanny Taylor Blackhurst, Sanford, Michigan pioneers, occupational surnames, Parsons, Massachusetts Colony, Taylor surname, English immigration, New England genealogy, Rhoda Taylor Parsons
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