Hello to My Friends at the Johnson County Genealogical Society!

I belong to a local genealogy society, the Johnson County (Kansas) Genealogical Society.  It's a great group of people, all with the common interest of family history.  Each month, I provide a short "Tech Tip" that speaks to some sort of technology and how it can be applied to genealogical research.  Today's topic was "Blogging for Genealogy."  

I hope I inspired people to start their own blog to share research with fellow genealogists, and also to "troll" for those cousins!  If you were at the meeting this morning, thanks for listening to my tip and I hope you'll consider starting your own blogs.  Just come up with a concept (do you want to share information on one line of your family tree, a certain location  where your family spent time, or maybe just ramblings about your genealogy journey), then have at it!  There's no right or wrong way to blog, so don't be scared!!

Happy blogging!

Kay's Correspondence

Ancestry recently released their list of the "40 best blogs for genealogy," which caused me to re-think the purpose of my own blog.  Does anyone really care what I think about genealogy?  Do I have unique information to share?  My blog has languished lately, as I've run out of ideas for fresh content.

The answer came to me as I was staring at the basket of my mom's genealogy correspondence under the desk (another scanning and indexing project I swear I'll get to one of these days).  My mom, Glenda Kay Robertson Stubler, became interested in her family's history in the late 1950's.  A lot of the older family members were still alive at the time, so she began a letter writing campaign to just about anyone who might have a scrap of useful family history information.  The result is a wonderful collection of hand-written family memories that I'm going to share on this blog.

One of the earliest letters in the collection is dated July 25, 1958, from Francis Pearl Gannan, my great-grandfather John William Gannan's sister.  She was born November 24, 1887, to William Alfred and Wilfreda Reece (Reese) Gannan.  I don't remember meeting Aunt Pearl, but I know she stayed in touch with my mom and grandmother, Mildred Gannan Robertson.  In fact, my grandmother gave me a ring Aunt Pearl had given her years ago, which my daughter-in-law now wears.  She died October 23, 1973, in Seminole, OK.

Unfortunately, I don't have the original of this Gannan family photo, but here's a copy of the copy my uncle, Ron Robertson, included in his family history "The Gannan Genealogy::

Back row, left to right:  Pearl, John, Wesley, Henry, Vernon, Marie.
Front row, left to right:  Alfred, Mae, Wilfreda, Ray, Ethel

The letter is dated Friday, July 25, 1958:

Friday July 25

Dear Kay

Read your letter was surprised to hear from you.  

I haven't heard from your mother since they moved and don't know what her address is hope she writes me soon.

I am just drifting along and as you ask about the Gannan family I could not help you out in any way.  Allen (Eberhart) Helen's son was asking about the family tree when Grandma Gannan was sick and Mae and Anna Thompson were there they seem to know everything.  Mae has the family Bible so I have no records of any kind.  Why not see Allen and find out how far he got with the information.

Would like for you to see me sometime but be sure and write so I will be home.  I was in Trenton for two weeks and will be gone some of the time.

All for now write again sometime.

Wishing you and yours the best of everything.

With love

Aunt Pearl

Old hand-written letters are a wonderful source of information.  This letter provided clues about the family bible (Pearl's sister Mae (Spears) had it at one point); my mom's cousin Allen Eberhart was also researching the Gannan family (and still is to this day), and the envelope provides a location in 1958 for both my mom and Aunt Pearl.

I hope Kay's correspondence will help me connect with as-yet-unknown cousins, and provide clues that will help other researchers!  

23andMe Results Are In!

I almost hyperventilated with anticipation last night while reading an email from 23andMe about my DNA test results.  "Your 23andMe results are now available!!"  I had visions of new cousins dancing in my head, so imagine my disappointment when I logged in and found out that my Relative Finder results are still being calculated, and will take another week to complete.  Considering they sent me an email last week stating the results would be delayed until mid-February, I'm OK with waiting another week for this exciting new information.  I'm also waiting for my husband's test results to come in.  Stay tuned!

Floyd and Mildred Gannan Robertson

Happy 79th Anniversary to my grandparents, Floyd and Mildred Gannan Robertson.  They were married January 24, 1934, at the County Courthouse in Troy, Doniphan County, Kansas.   The probate judge, John Bell, performed the ceremony, and as far as I know, no family or friends were in attendance.

  
Here's another photo taken in the fall of 1937, with my uncle, Ron Robertson, and my mother, Kay Robertson.

I love this photo of my grandparents:

Grandma and Grandpa both passed away several years ago (my grandfather in 1986, and my grandmother in 2004), but they are still sorely missed and loved by all who knew them.

Happy anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa!

DNA Testing

I had hoped to get my 23andMe results back this week, but apparently a drop in price = increased demand, so the results are delayed by a month.  In the meantime, I'll be reading  up on how DNA testing works, what the results will mean, and how best to utilize the results in my genealogy research.  I've seen a lot of genealogy blog posts on this same topic, but I'm going to stick with the experts and review the resource material on the various scientific websites, 23andMe site, and information from genealogists who specialize in DNA test results.  Also, I need to understand why everyone is bagging on Ancestry.com DNA testing.  I've been able to locate several relatively close cousins so I don't think it's the bust that everyone thinks it is.

2013 - Renewed Focus and Losing Social Media

Happy 2013 to everyone!  While I rarely make New Year's resolutions, I've made a few genealogy resolutions that I hope will bring me renewed focus in 2013.

1.  First and foremost:  stop letting social media sites like Facebook and Twitter steal my time.  While both are very helpful tools for locating new research resources, I find myself focused on posting links and comments instead.  No one really cares what I have to say, and I'm not trying to establish myself as an "expert" in the field, so why not cut down on the number of people I follow on Twitter and visit once a day to scan for new resources.

2.  Clean out my Gmail boxes and save important emails to Evernote.  I wish Gmail had a "folders" option like Outlook (and yes, I know about tags).   This is pretty easy to do while I'm watching television.

3.  Go paperless.  I know this is high on everyone's list.  I have a ton of paper that still needs to be scanned and moved to Evernote or Dropbox.  Take one folder at a time so as not to be overwhelmed.

4.  Clean up my FTM tree.

5.  Start a list of contacts (name, email, snail mail address, phone #) for each surname.

6.  Pick a couple of lines to focus on, vs. my current "scattered" approach to research.

7.  Tackle the boxes of photographs that need to be scanned and organized.  This isn't really genealogy related, and might have to wait until 2014!

8.  Stop trying to attend every webinar out there.  Focus on the ones that will provide the most valuable information.

I have others in the back of my mind (learn more about DNA testing, become more involved with the local genealogy society, etc.), but my main focus for 2013 is to get organized.  After ten+ years of researching my family history, I've gotten a little disorganized.

Happy researching!

 

Happy Anniversary

This is a day late, but happy anniversary to my son Kevin and my daughter-in-law Karen.  They were married eight years ago in a beautiful rose garden wedding at Loose Park in Kansas City.

As chance would have it, they were married on the same day as my great-grandparents, John and Jane Waterbury Gannan.  Yesterday would have been their 102nd wedding anniversary.  I knew both of them well, as they were alive until I was in my late teens.  Happy anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa!

A Cautionary Tale

I live with my antiques and family heirlooms.  My great-great grandmother's blue crock sits on my kitchen counter and holds potholders; her daughter's wedding  portrait hangs on my office wall.  I carry my grandfather's driver's licence in my wallet as a good luck charm, and my grandmother's small juice glass alternates between smashing peanut butter cookies and cutting biscuits in my kitchen.  These small talismans have helped me understand our ancestors were more than just names and dates.
While I was on vacation last week, a new floor was installed in my office.  Unfortunately, during the install, two of my most treasured items were accidently damaged or destroyed.  The "cautionary tale" alluded to in the blog title is this:  if you own a family heirloom that you want to keep safe from damage or destruction, don't assume anyone else will be as careful with it as you are.  At the end of the day, they are only "things," but if they are important to you, consider what steps you can take to safeguard them.

Sharing

I want to preface this post by saying I don't make a living performing genealogy research for others, and I don't claim expertise in a particular area of research or technology (although I like to consider myself pretty tech-savvy).  I'm a long-time hobbyist, plain and simple, which probably colors my remarks a little.  

I've seen a lot of Facebook posts and blog entries regarding "sharing."  I'm using that term to cover a lot of scenarios:  you connected with a long-lost cousin who wants your research; you post your tree on a website such as ancestry.com; abstracts that you may have done of original records; etc.  Personally, I am willing to share any piece of information I've been fortunate enough to dig up.  Along the way, I've run into a lot of very nice people who are of the same mind-set:  pay it forward.  I've had cousins send me packets of photographs and copies of original records they dug up through research trips.  I've had perfect strangers take cemetery photographs for me.  I was in contact with the widow of a man my mother corresponded with back in the 1970's, and she graciously sent me a copy of a book he had written.  I've sent letters to small genealogy libraries and had volunteers make copies of obituaries from old newspapers.  I've tried to return the favors, in small part, by volunteering through the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website.

I'm not saying that people who make their living from genealogy should give away their time and fruits of their labor for free.  My point is that if you post information on one of the many websites such as ancestry.com, don't be surprised if someone lifts your research.  Also, remember when others have offered you some small act of genealogical kindness, and try to do the same by paying it forward.

Saturday Field Trip to the National Archives

I had a lovely time this past Saturday with four ladies from the DAR chapter (Prairie Rose - Overland Park, KS) I will be joining in November.  Even though I'm not formally a member, they have graciously invited me to chapter functions, including a field trip to the National Archives in Kansas City.  While there, we attended a seminar on land records research, a subject which can be confusing (at least for me it is!).  

If you live near a National Archives facility, I  highly recommend their free genealogy seminars, as there is something for everyone no matter what research level you are, or what your interests might be!  Topics in July and August included:  Navigating the National Archives Website, Researching African-American Genealogy,  Using Federal Census Records to Find Your Ancestors, Finding Your Family in Federal Court, Ship Passenger Arrival Lists, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Records, to name a few.  On October 6, they are hosting a free day-long Fall Genealogy Symposium, with an in-depth look at records available at the federal level.

At the land records seminar, I did learn that for every land transfer from the government to an individual, a "land case file" was created.  Depending on the time period and the changing government regulations, the land case file could contain a lot of useful genealogical information.  The files exist for land claims that were both approved, and those that may have been cancelled for some reason.  As my great great great grandfather John Gannan (for whom this blog is named) held a land patent in Harrison County, Missouri, in 1855, I was able to order a land case file for his patent.  I'm excited to see what the file might contain, as Grandpa John is one of my longer-term brick walls.

Thanks again to the ladies of the Prairie Rose DAR Chapter for allowing me to tag along on your field trip!

Birthdays

My birthday is coming up, which always make me nostalgic for the "good old days" when parents and grandparents made a big deal out of your birthday.  My grandmother would always bake me one of my two favorite cakes, strawberry or angel food (not from a box mix), frosted with that sugary/gritty 7 Minute Frosting which is still my favorite to this day.

I thought I'd share a few of my birthday party snaps.  Don't laugh, you know you have these same photos.

My favorite, taken with my Grandpa Robertson:

I wish I was this skinny again:

You can see the theme here:  the decorations are those crunchy sugar things you get at the store:

I think I was trying to look sweet so I would get more presents:

Same year, with my Uncle Charlie sneaking into the picture:

Birthdays don't have the same glow any more, but it's fun to pull out the old photos and remember.

Uncommon Names

I've been adding cousins to my master database, in the hope I'll make more connections through Ancestry.  One of the things I've noticed is how many uncommon names there are.  Some of my favorite ancestor first names are:

America
Missouri
Desire
Hope
Pleasant
Blondena
Prudence
Experience
Temperance
Emilie (seems like a very French spelling of Emily)

A few of the more "out there" names I ran across are Zilphi, Euphrates, and Glaphney.

I love what I'll call the old-timey names:  Atheline, Purnetta, Minerva, Opal, Lulu, Abner, Beulah, Ida, Malvina, Thursa Ann, Essie, Lida Mae, Lessarah, Flossie, Daisy, and Rosetta.

I'd love to hear what your most unusual ancestor name is!

Hello, Cousin Mike!

I received a lovely email yesterday from a long-lost cousin in California.   His mother and my grandmother were sisters.  Both have passed away, and our families unfortunately lost touch, as often happens.  Mike found me through this blog while searching for another sister of his mother and my grandmother.  Unfortunately, Aunt Helen had also passed away, but as luck would have it, I had posted a short blog entry about her on the one year anniversary of her death last year.  Mike was in town several years ago for his mother's funeral, but we didn't have time to exchange addresses and phone numbers.  I was thrilled to hear from him, and hope we can keep the connection alive!

Oh, and Mike and his family are part of the group peaking out from the top on my background picture on my main blog screen.     

I Love Volunteers!

A lovely volunteer genealogist for the Macoupin County (Illinois) Historical Society was kind enough to make a copy of an obituary I have been trying to track down for many years. Many thanks to Libby Klocke for her generosity.

The ancestor in question was Almira Baxter Allard, my husband's great-great-great grandmother. She was born in Massachusetts in 1803, a descendent of Mayflower immigrants. Below is her obituary in its entirety, transcribed here for others who might also be searching for information on Almira.

 [Obituary was published in the Carlinville (Illinois) Democrat, February 15, 1883.]

Died, at the residence of Mr. James K. Furber, her son-in-law, in this city, Sunday, Feb. 4, 1883, after a lingering illness of thirty-five days, Mrs. Almira Allard, aged 79 years, 4 months and 15 days. Mother Allard was born in Barnstable, Mass., Sept. 19, 1803, and her maiden name was Baxter. In 1821 or 1822 she was converted and united with the Baptist church at Providence, R.I., and shortly after was married to Ezekiel Wilbur, who died in 1826. She afterward married Lyman Allard, with whom she lived until his death in 1848. She was the mother of nine children, of whom four survive her - Mrs. Thomas J. VanDorn, of Bunker Hill; Mrs. William Hauck, of Red Wood, Minn., and Mrs. Henry Tappan and Mrs. J.K. Furber, of Carlinville, and the grandmother of thirty-three grandchildren, of whom, besides those of the above mentioned parents, who survive her are the children of Mrs. Charles Bellmer, of whom are Charles H., William E., Harry D. and Ida J. Bellmer, all of whom reside in this city, and Douglas Bellmer, who resides in Springfield, Ill, and Frank W. Bellmer, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mother Allard was the great-grandmother of nine children, three of whom are the children of Frank W. Bellmer of Cincinnati, Ohio; two the children of Mrs. Tonny Cleveland (nee VanDorn), now deceased; two the children of Mrs. Ed Ellet (nee VanDorn), of Eldorado, Kan., and one the child of William Bellmer of this city. Mother Allard came to Illinois in 1838 and her home has been in this county ever since, most of the time in the southern part, where she was well and favorably known. She was a consistent and devoted member of the Baptist Church for sixty-two years, and during all these more than three score years she has been a living exampler of the power of the Gospel of Christ in her life, in her death, in her all. She realized that her salvation was a present salvation. Her devotion to the church of her choice was untiring and unwavering. So long as her physical health permitted, she attended the prayer-meeting and was able and willing to give a reason for the hope she entertained of eternal life and blessedness at the right hand of the Father. Often has the writer of this sketch heard her earnest exhortations of the membership of the church to be earnest, zealous, and faithful in the discharge of duty. Nothing grieved her so much as the, at least apparent, want of spiritual life among the members, and nothing cheered and comforted her more than to see the development of spiritual life in her brethren and sisters. Never demonstrative, but always peaceful, during her last illness the hope she had so long cherished still sustained her. By faith she realized the fact that a mansion was prepared for her, and a crown of life and unfading glory awaited her. Wearied with the aches and pains of this life, with patience she looked forward to that rest that remains for the people of God, and like the Psalmist she could say: "As for me, I shall behold Thy face in the righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Thy likeness." "Oh, happy saint, she dwells in light, And Walks with Jesus, clothed in white; Safe landed on that peaceful shore Where pilgrims meet to part no more."

Old School vs. High Tech Genealogy Research

I recently joined the Facebook group "Technology for Genealogy," partly because I love to talk about geeky technology stuff, but mostly because I am interested in how new (and existing) technology is being used by the genealogy community. There have been some very interesting discussion topics posted, including cloud computing, genealogy programs, scanners, photo editing, Google Earth, Google Fiber, capturing digital images using a camera, and pay-for-use genealogy websites. The responses have provided me with a lot of great ideas, so I highly encourage you to join the group and get in on the discussions! As genealogy research becomes more and more digital, I often think about my mom's efforts back in the late 1950's through the early 1970's, when everything was "old school." I have a suitcase full of letters she wrote to older living relatives, people she thought might be related, and countless courthouses or genealogy societies, looking for any clue or document she might uncover. She never had a computer, never had a genealogy program to track her information or create a research plan. Tracking and documenting was done on rolls of butcher paper and in spiral notebooks. Her correspondence and documentation are incredibly precious to me, especially because they reinforce for me the value of good old fashioned research. She and my grandfather were able to obtain a lot of family history information, which I've used as the basis for my own research over the past 10 years. I'm sure my mom and grandfather would be amazed at all the information now available at our fingertips, and I'm sorry they aren't here to see the advances that have been made. On a completely different topic, my DAR application has been approved! It's been a long time goal of mine to make the genealogical connection back to a Revolutionary War patriot, and with the help of Cathy Lawrenz of the Prairie Rose DAR chapter in Overland Park, KS, I was able to submit my application. I'm very excited to become part of such a great patriotic organization.

DNA Research - Trying to Get Over My Fright

My partner in genealogy crime, my Uncle Ronnie, is probably one of the smartest people I know.  He is well read, loves new technology and gadgets, and is always willing to be an early adopter of the latest and greatest.  He has turned me into the Mac geek I am today.

We have two main brick walls within our genealogy research.  One is memorialized in the title to this blog:  John Gannan, my great great great grandfather, who seemed to spring from nowhere in Monmouth County, New Jersey, in the early 1800"s.  The other is my great great great grandfather, Jeremiah Robertson.  We have tantalizing clues about each of them, but have never been able to find that one connection which would tear down the brick walls.

Several years ago my uncle decided to take a DNA test to see if he could gather new clues around the Robertson side of the family.   Unfortunately, the test has proven unsuccessful in helping him determine who Jeremiah's family is, but it has introduced him to a whole new group of potential "cousins" who are also waiting for that one piece of info to clear up the Robertson mystery.  As for me, I did take a limited test at the same time, but it has proven to be of no value.


My uncle became very interested in the technology of DNA testing, and has read many articles and journals on the subject.  At the same time, he has tried to educate me and set my expectations regarding DNA testing and the chances of finding a second cousin who has the family bible and a fully sourced family tree that he or she would be willing to share.  Not going to happen, or if it has happened, I've never heard of it! 


I know there are several blogs devoted to the subject of DNA research as it relates to genealogy, plus the information my uncle has been kind enough to share over the years.  I suppose now that I've ordered the new Ancestry DNA test, it's time to get serious and really understand what it's all about.   Time to get over my fright!


I would love to hear from anyone who has taken a DNA test and the results have proven successful in finding what I'll call "near time" ancestors (within the past five to ten generations).     

Documenting the Story Behind Family Heirlooms

When I was a kid, my mother would take my three brothers and I to visit her paternal grandfather, Daniel Allen Robertson.

My grandmother, Bessie Jane Downey, shown above about 1935 with Grandpa Robertson, died shortly before i was born, so I never knew her.

My great-grandfather lived in a small house in Bethany, Missouri.  He was a very kind old man, and I remember three things most about those visits:  1) he had a clock that struck the hour and half hour all night long, so none of us ever got any sleep; 2) he loved to sit in an old rocking chair and rub his thumb into the armrest; and 3) he always had frosted oatmeal cookies in a pink depression glass cookie jar on his kitchen table.

When Grandpa passed away, there was an estate sale and unfortunately, the rocking chair left the family.  However, my mom was able to purchase her grandfather's cookie jar, which has since been passed down to me.

Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who doesn't like to use heirlooms for the most part, so it's now sitting in my china cabinet.  One of these days I am going to take it out, fill it with oatmeal frosted cookies, and let my own grandson take a cookie from the jar.

Another heirloom I have is a small covered bowl that was owned by my great-great grandfather, Wilfreda Reece Gannan.  I never knew this item existed until I went to a family estate sale, and one of my step-cousins brought the bowl out and said that my great grandfather, who had long since passed away, had wanted my mom to have it.  Since she died in 1974, they had held onto the bowl for many years, waiting for the right moment to give it to me.  I was overwhelmed that my step-cousins has saved it for me.

I have started taking photos of the heirlooms I want to pass down to my son, grandson, and nieces and nephews.  Along with each photo, I plan to write a small story about each item, where it came from, and why it holds special memories for me.

How have you been documenting the story behind your family heirlooms?

Sorting Through Photographs

Like everyone else, I have boxes and boxes of photographs to scan and organize, and on top of that, I have around 12,000 digital photos that I've taken over the years.  The boxes sit largely untouched in a closet in the spare bedroom, but I've recently begun the task of organizing the digital photos and uploading them to Dropbox, so I can share them across my Apple devices (iPad, iPhone, and MacBook Air).   Dropbox will also make it easy to share photos with family members and friends.
My first digital camera was a big, clunky 1 megapixel model from Kodak, and I loved it.  I took photos of everything.  I've since moved up to a Canon Rebel and a Panasonic Lumix GF3, along with a small point-and-shoot, which means I now have digital photos coming out my ears.  Every vacation results in photographs of anything from skyline shots, to photos of landscaping and trees, local businesses, food, and local residents, to name a few.  Every time we go to San Diego, I feel compelled to take photos of the Hotel Del Coronado and the San Diego skyline, or sunset over Point Loma.  I also have a four year old grandson, so you can imagine the number of photos I have of him.  As a result, I have a ton of duplicate photos and photos of things I don't even remember what they are.
As part of my digital organization project, I've been ruthlessly deleting duplicate photos (seriously, how many photos of the San Diego skyline or the Hotel Del do I really need??!!), as well as photos of things like giraffes at the San Diego Zoo or that shot of a weird tree I took in Colorado.  I've taken what's left and am in the process of uploading them to different folders on Dropbox.
I started with well over 12,000 digital photos, and am down to 7,000.  Everything that's already been uploaded to Dropbox was the easy stuff, i.e., the stuff that wasn't duplicate, and could be easily categorized.  What's left are family photos that will need to be looked at carefully (are their eyes closed?  do I know who they are?  are there ten photos of the same thing? is the photo meaningful?) and then delete or upload.
This whole project has made me realize a couple of things:
1.  You should never let things pile up.  As you take photographs, they should be sorted through/deleted/filed in whatever system you use.  Otherwise, you will end up like me, with thousands of photos to sort through.
2.  Be mindful of what you take pictures of.  That giraffe might be cute, but when all is said and done, do you really want a photo of it to sort through later?
And that's just the digital photographs!  Once I get them all sorted through and uploaded, it's time to move on to the boxes and boxes of regular photographs that are lurking around my guest room.
Good luck to anyone who is undertaking a similar project!!

Remembering a Friend

It was 30 years ago today that I received a call from a high school friend, telling me that another member of our high school group, Gerrianne Miller, had been killed in a plane crash in Wichita Falls, TX.
Gerrianne was a beautiful girl, one of the "Air Force brats" who came to town every few years when a parent's transfer orders came through.  She was tall, blonde, smart, funny, lovely, graceful, and there was something about her that made you fall instantly in love with her.  Popularity came easily to her, and yet she was always friendly to everyone, including the kids who weren't part of our little group.
When Gerrianne was killed, she was on her way back to Kansas City from Wichita Falls to visit her mother.  Her father had died June 21, less than two weeks earlier.  What crushing sadness her mother must have felt to lose both a husband and a daughter within a two week period.
I carry Gerrianne's junior year high school picture in my wallet, as a reminder that life is short.  On the back of the photo she wrote:  "Karen, You're one of the sweetest persons I know.  Stay the way you are, cute, and fun to be around.  Good luck with everything and remember all the fun we've had on the pep club bus and everywhere else.  '75.  Love, Gerrianne."

Gerrianne's photo has been in my wallet for many years now, visiting places she never got the chance to see.  She was a special person who never got the chance to make her mark on the world.  She did, however, leave a positive mark on those of us who were fortunate enough to have known her all those years ago.  

My American Revolution Ancestor - Daniel Waterbury

This 4th of July, as I return from an evening spent with my son, his wife, and my grandson at a local fireworks display, I'm especially grateful to one of my ancestors, Daniel Waterbury.  Daniel, my 6th great grandfather, fought in the Revolutionary War.  Because of his sacrifices, and those of his comrades in arms, I was able to enjoy an evening with family members, under the light of fireworks, some 236 years after the start of the Revolution.  It's amazing, when you think about it, that a relatively small band of patriots laid down their lives so that future generations could live in freedom from tyranny.  I think that we tend to take for granted just what the Revolutionary War patriots sacrificed for us.
This year's holiday is especially poignant for me, because I recently applied for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution based on Daniel's service.  I know relatively little about him, beyond the fact that he was born in 1742 within the confines of the old town of Stamford, Connecticut. He was the third son and sixth child of David and Mary (Bouton) Waterbury.  As a boy, he attended church with his parents at the New Canaan Church, where they held membership.  He later became an Ensign in a company of Minute Men enrolled in Westchester County (New York) at the opening of the Revolution, at the age of 34.  Later he was made a 2nd Lt. and later a 1st Lt.  He served in the Third Regiment of Westchester County Militia under Col. Pierre Van Cortlandt.
After the War, Daniel and his family moved to a farm near Schdoac, New York, which is a short distance from Central Nassau.  Daniel's farm was only about 10 miles from the present city of Troy, NY.  He died there March 15, 1798.  His body was buried on the farm.
Daniel's ancestors can be traced back to William Waterbury who came to America in the early 1600's.
Daniel's grandson, Wendell Waterbury, eventually moved west to Iowa, and lost touch with his East Coast relatives.   In the family history "Jonathan Waterbury Genealogy:  Ancestry and Some of the Descendants of Jonathan Waterbury of Nassau, New York (1766-1826)," by Grace A. Waterbury and Edwin M. Waterbury, Wendell is described as:  "b. July 20, 1828, at Fabius, NY; he was of possessed of the 'wanderlust' and never married.  He died in the west where he had gone a a young man."  This was not true, of course.  He did marry, and went on to become my 3rd great grandfather.  I'm grateful for his pioneering spirt of "wanderlust."
I haven't been able to find out anything about Daniel's military service under Col. Van Cortlandt but hope to do so one day.  I would like to know more about the life of the man who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice all those years ago.
Thank you, Daniel.  I will be a proud member of the DAR based on your service, and will honor your memory.