October’s Theme and Week 40: Least (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2024 Version)

The theme for Week 40 is "Least." This is theme that can go countless directions. Least number of records found. Least number of descendants. You could also do a play on words with "leased." Remember: There is no wrong way to interpret the prompt! Click here to see all of the 2024 prompts.

When I think of “Least” I think of all of my relatives who have the least amount of interest to many researchers. A person who comes to a genealogy club that I attend, only researches her direct line, no one else. I think of all those relatives who will never have any descendants. Those that died young, those that never married, those that were not blessed with any children. I do genealogy for them, so they are not forgotten.

Without looking at my tree, one individual comes to mind instantly. A child born to my 2nd great-grandparents, Seymour Hiltz and Wilina Booth. He was born on Sept 8, 1883 in Ripon, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. I found this record by chance. At the time, I was doing my application for the Daughters of the American Revolution and wanted to see if I could find a birth record for my great-grandfather, Orville Charles Hiltz born Jul 28, 1873 in Ripon, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.

I found an index on Ancestry that showed a male child being born to my 2nd great-grandparents. Therefore, I went to the courthouse to see what additional information could be found on the original record versus the index. It was for a sibling of my 2nd-great grandfather. My 2nd great-grandfather was listed as one of the other issues as Chas O, which could be Charles Orville. This record was for a child born to my 2nd great-grandparents.

So, what happened to this unnamed baby boy? I didn’t find any death record for him. I can not find the family in the Wisconsin 1885 State Census. This family did move around quite a bit. In 1880 they were living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA. Wilina had family living in Ripon and perhaps she moved back there to have the baby. Around this time, Seymour abandons the family. Or according to letter received around 1902, Wilina left her husband, who was living in Traverse City, Michigan and moved back to Ripon, Wisconsin to live with her sister. Did the baby die and cause friction within the family? The newspaper article written about this letter received from the long-lost parent alluded to possible violence in the relationship. Some mysteries might never be solved.

It’s people like this and many more, that I do genealogy to find the least researched relatives. I want to create family history books and thus, I include all these people with no descendants so that they may never be forgotten.

Remember to have fun and Just Do Genealogy! 

Week 37: Tombstone (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2024 Version)

The theme for Week 37 is "Tombstone." If you're like me, cemeteries are your happy place. (I even had shirts made!) Have you found an interesting tombstone for one of your ancestors? Has a tombstone given you a surprising piece of information? Check out all of the 2024 prompts here.

Just the other day, a local genealogical society had a Cemetery Walk at the cemetery that my 2^nd great-grandmother, Nellie Booth Hiltz Pansie is buried at. I decided I wanted to go and my husband tagged along.

This society gave all the attendees a handout about the people whose graves we were going to be visiting. I applaud this effort; however, I wish the guide didn’t read verbatim from the handout. We were supposed to visit 10 sites, in an hour, when the first site took 15 minutes, I knew this wasn’t for me and we left.

However, we did arrive early and I showed my husband my 2^nd great-grandmother’s grave along with her grandchild’s grave, my great-grandfather’s niece. My husband, then wandered around the cemetery as I visited with those who were arriving for the cemetery walk.

As we were driving home, my husband made a comment on how people today don’t realize how lucky we are. He was struck by how many people had to bury their children and in general how young people were when they died. Especially, wives, how many he saw that died in their 30’s.

This also got me thinking about a comment a fellow member of a genealogy club I belong to made. She stated that she doesn’t look for anyone other than her direct ancestors. I mentioned that I do genealogy as a way to preserve and honor all my relatives.

On that drive home, it made me think of my great grandfather’s niece who was buried in that cemetery. Mildred Buehring only lived six short years. She will never have descendants who will research her. She died before her family moved to Canada. She also died six years before her younger sister, Mabel was born. Mabel also died young at the tender age of 12. Mabel and Mildred would be fated to be forgotten if she was a relative of my fellow genealogy club member. However, they will never be forgotten in my genealogy endeavors.  

Mabel Carlina Hiltz was born in Ripon, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin on Dec 31, 1876, the daughter of Seymour Hiltz and Wilina Booth. On Oct 13, 1895 in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin she married William George Buehring. Three of their children, Mildred born Sep 18, 1897, George William born Dec 9, 1905 and Paul Henry born Jan 5, 1907, all in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Sadly, Mildred died on Jan 19, 1904 in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin and is buried in the Ellenwood Cemetery, Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Thus, she passed before her younger siblings were born. The Buehring Family moved to Winnifred, Alberta, Canada in 1908. While there, their fourth and youngest child, Mabel Maria was born in 1910. The family moved in 1914 to Beiseker, where their daughter Mable Maria died in 1922. She is buried in the Beisker Community Cemetery, Beiseker, Alberta, Canada. The family moved to Calgary in 1929 and on Oct 21, 1945, Mabel died and is buried in the Queen’s Park Cemetery and Mausoleum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

My suggestion: even if you only want to research your direct ancestors, how about also adding their siblings to your tree. This way if they died with no descendants, they won’t be forgotten completely.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!