After months of research, I can finally say with certainty that Martin Trantham’s wife was the great granddaughter of Pocahontas. Wouldn’t that make for a great opening sentence? A few hearts were broken and tears were shed at our last family reunion when I revealed my DNA showed no traces of Native American ancestors. Neither did my father’s or his… More →

Befuddled. That was my situation six months ago when I discovered a second Duewel family living near Warren County, Missouri about the same time as my Duewel ancestors. Countless hours were spent trying to figure out how the two families might be related to no avail. Fortuitously, one of the descendants from the other family wrote a book about his ancestors’ first 100 years in America. Surely… More →

A week of research in Warren County, Missouri enabled me to answer many of the questions I had about the last few years in the life of my 3rd great grandfather, Fritz Duewel. One of the new things I learned, however, was difficult for me to understand: Fritz never owned any land. I know this because I painstaking examined every deed book… More →

My (Grand) Uncle “Sonny” tells the delightful tale of how a misunderstanding lead to the unusual combination of his first and middle names. Most assuredly, when my great grandfather told the doctor’s assistant to (just) give his tenth child the doctor’s name for a first name, he meant he should be given the doctor’s first name. (Or did he?) In great grandpa’s defense, I… More →

The path leading to John R. Deason‘s parents is strewn with circumstantial evidence and 30+ DNA cousins who seem to all be pointing in the same direction. While I would prefer an irrefutable “smoking gun” proving what I am about to put forth, one doth not yet exist. Nevertheless, it appears that the most likely and logical candidates for John’s parents are William… More →

So I am passing through Raleigh, North Carolina airport security this morning and the TSA agent looks at my ID and says: “We have a James Trantham who works here. Are you related?” “Yes.” Kenfolk: Tranthams Relation: Distant Cousin Common ancestor: Martin Trantham who came to North Carolina before 1755

Presidents, governors, lieutenant governors, city council-people, animal control controllers. I feel a bit obliged to recognize my cousins who served in a public office. One such individual was Thomas Ward Veazey, my 3rd cousin, 6x removed. Thomas was the governor of Maryland from 1836 to 1839. He was the last governor who was not elected by the people – the legislature put him in office three years in a… More →

George W. Bush, my half 8th cousin, 1x removed, and his father account for two of the three presidents who appear in my family tree. The third is Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States. Genealogically speaking, he is most likely my 4th cousin, 6x removed – give or take a generation. To get to Cousin Martin,… More →

Returning to the Eastern Shore of Maryland this morning, I ventured south to Dorchester County, having visited Cecil County on the northern end just a few weeks ago. The Fitzhugh, or Fitzchew, branch of my family tree was the purpose of the trip. Samuel Fitzhugh, my 6th great grandfather, was born in Dorchester County in 1765. His daughter, Polly, married James Turbeville in 1809. They would become the parents of Lydia… More →