Week Four: Hall

It's only taken me 7 weeks to get to Week 4 of Family History Month and there we are!! The focus this "week" is Hall, my paternal grandmother's line. This is a line I know very, VERY little on. My paternal grandmother, Constance Hall Coughlin, died when my father was less than 2 years old.

For my direct line, surnames that married into the family include:

Coughlin (David married Constance Hall)
Otis (Sarah "Sadie" married Earl Hall)
Johnson (Ella married Ira Hall)

When I add in the aunts and uncles, surnames include:

Gilbo (Henry married Mildred Hall)
Nichols (Harry married Cecilia "Myra" Hall)
Kinney (Elizabeth married Loren Hall)
Straight (Beatrice married Loren Hall)

When I add in cousins (of all removals), surnames include:

Huttig (Carl married Kathleen Hall)
Eldred (Ernest married Beatrice Hall)

WOW. I really don't have a lot of information on this line. Need to move this line up on my goals for 2017.

Week Three: Coughlin

"My" Week Three of Family History Month has the focus on Coughlin, my father's line. This is definitely a brickwall line. Growing up we were the only Coughlin's in the phone book in South Carolina. NOT the case in the Northeast!!

For my direct line, surnames that married into the family include:

Hall (Constance married David Coughlin)
Williams (Bridget Agnes married Daniel Coughlin)
McDonough (Anna/Annie married Daniel Coughlin)

When I add in the aunts and uncles, surnames include:

Braunstein (Eugene married Mary Elizabeth Coughlin)
Midgley (Mildred married Bernard Coughlin)
Thompson (Gerald married Ann Coughlin)
Myers (Howard married Mary Elizabeth Coughlin)
Fleming (Constance married Thomas Coughlin)
Gould (Hannah/Anna married Thomas Coughlin)
Lynch (Thomas R married Margaret Coughlin)
Healey (Edward married Sarah Coughlin)
Keigher (Edward married Elizabeth Coughlin)

When I add in cousins (of all removals), surnames include:

Russell (Mary married George Coughlin)
Conners (Charles married Marie Coughlin)
Shuler (Mildred maried George Henry Coughlin)
Ryan (Thomas G married Hannah Coughlin)
Hughes (Edward married Mary Coughlin)
Cunningham (Alfred married Agnes Theresa Healey)

This week's lesson is this line used the same names...over and over and over again!!!

Week Two: Senecal

My week two focus for Family History Month is Senecal. Senecal is my maternal grandfather's line. When I started looking at the various surnames that married into this line, I realized that I don't have as much information as I thought. Another item for the eternal genealogy to-do list!!

For my direct line, surnames that married into the family include:

Duprey (Eulalia married Ernest Senecal)
Yelle (Georgiana married John Senecal)
Dube (Mary/Marie married John Senecal)

When I add in the uncles and aunts, surnames include:

Bola (Martha married Raymond Senecal)
Votraw (Morris married Doris Senecal)
Rushia (Samuel married Emma Senecal)
Dudley (Arthur married Emma Senecal)
Santor (Ida married Henry Senecal)
Lamb (Ethel married George Senecal)
Disco (Edward married Lillian Senecal)

When I add in cousins (of all removals), surnames include:

Kyea (Florence married Wilfred Rushia)
LaGoy (Ernest married Janette Rushia)
Myers (Eleanor married Ector Rushia)
Becker (Alyce married (J. Ernest Rushia)
Raby (Mandred married Verla Senecal)

I have to say this exercise of cataloging surnames has brought to light just how much research I really need to do to fill in the gaps!! And here I thought it would be an easy task :)

PS: Week Two is late because I "thought" I had scheduled the post. I was wrong.......

Week One: Duprey

This week is Duprey week of Family History Month. I kept going back and forth on what I wanted to write about and then it hit me, surnames. Specially surnames that have married into the line.

For my direct line, surnames that married into the family include:

Papin ditte LaChance (Josephte married Charles Dupre)
Gervais/Jarvis (Mary/Marie married Charles Dupre (son))
Sharrow/Sharron/Charron (Melinda married Eugene Duprey)

When I add in the uncles and aunts. surnames include:

Willis (Thomas married Mamie Duprey)
Bourdon (Albertine married Philip Duprey)
Paquin (Sarah married George Duprey)
Durgan (Leonard married Anna Duprey)
Jacobson (Frederick married Leah Duprey)
Dudley (Mary Ann married Elmer Duprey)
Sawyer (Mary married Elmer Duprey)
Archambault/Arshambo (Louis married Agnes Duprey)
Yelle (Clara married Antoine/Anthony/William Duprey)
Avard (Leocadie married Calixte Dupre)

When I add in cousins (of all removals), surnames include:

Franz (Ernest married Addie Duprey)
Douglas (Eva married Wilfred Duprey)
Douglas (Josephine married Wilber Duprey)
Douglas (Roger married Florence Duprey)
LaHart (Laura married Orris Duprey)
Watson (Mildred married Orris Duprey)
Taylor (Mildred married Edward Duprey)
LaRose (Marie married Chester Duprey)

Listing these names made me review this family and I have more gaps than I realized. Right now I have been focused on the descendants of Charles Dupre and Mary/Marie Jarvis/Gervais. I need to research and find out what happened to many of these family members. I would like to see if there are any more living cousins out there. I was fortunate enough to meet in person one of my mother's Duprey cousins last year. I know there are a few more out there so the cousin hunt is on!!

Happy Family History Month 2016!

From my collection

October is Family History Month in the United States.

I am going to consider this a "New Year" of sorts. As I have done...basically NOTHING this year as far as researching or posting about my family, I will start anew. My goal is to post at least once week about each of my grandparents lines. So my schedule will be:

Week of October 2:    Duprey

Week of October 9:    Senecal

Week of October 16:  Hall

Week of October 23:  Coughlin

I admit I will be starting with the family line I know the most about at this point, Duprey. The last 2 weeks will be the hard ones for me as I know little about my father's side of the family really. I have some names and places but few photos or stories. 

So this month I encourage you to start working on your family trees if you have not already. Start going through those old photos and if you are lucky enough to have older relatives around ask them if they remember when some of those photos were taken. You might find out something new!!

So Happy Family History Month!! And have fun!!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. My mother, Sharyn Senecal Coughlin, was a military spouse for the first 17 years of her marriage to my father, Thomas Raymond Coughlin. I remember all the things she had to put with when Dad was gone on his year long cruises. Cars breaking down, house repairs not to mention my sister and I and doing it by herself. We were in South Carolina and both families were in New York so no calling family for help. As I got older, I realized the sacrifices my parents each made in order for my father to serve our country.

Here's a picture from the early 1970's where Dad is re-upping his Navy enlistment.

Thomas Raymond Coughlin and Sharyn Ann Senecal Coughlin
Charleston Naval Base, Charleston, South Carolina
1970's

From the insignia looks like Dad was a Petty Officer First Class (E-6) at this point.

So to all the wives and husbands of our military men and women out there....Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!!!

Believing in Miracles - 22 February 1980

Yes, I am still here!! 

But that's not the miracle I am referring to at the moment. It's been 36 years since the "Miracle on Ice" aka the US Men's Hockey Team defeats the USSR's Men's Hockey Team. 

I still remember that night. It was a Friday and I got to go to the local roller skating rink on Old Trolley Road in Summerville, SC (think it was Hot Wheels??). Which is ironic since I only skated a few times, the last time was cracking my wrist. Never skated again but still a great place to hang out! Mom picked me up and when we got home the game was still on. The third period was about to start and the Soviets were winning.  I didn't really follow hockey at the time but my father was really into the game as was my mother so I stayed up and watched. We were a very happy family by the end of the game!!

My paternal grandmother sent us the Plattsburgh Press-Republican at the time which included inserts during the Olympics. Below are the pages of the win!!

Great memories!!