Category Archives: Family Lines
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
Lurancy Taft (1796-1870)
Luransa Taft (1796–1870), Ahnentafel #41, was the daughter of Asa Taft and Sarah Whitney and spent most of her life in Triangle, Broome County, New York. Married at seventeen to Luman Olmstead, she raised a large family and appears regularly in state and federal censuses. This profile confirms her maternal line and helps clarify confusion surrounding similarly named women in the Taft family. Continue reading
Howell’s in the Censuses – Henry, Gideon, and Peter
Howell ResearchHowell LineBy Don Taylor In my wife’s Howell line, the father of Peter M. Howell is still unknown. In “Searching for Peter M Howell’s father,” I knew that Peter’s father: In The Life and Travels of Peter Howell, Page … 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