Saturday, March 1, 2025

March Family Birthdays, March 1 - 15

  Is your birthday coming soon? Happy Birthday!

Maybe you share your special day with someone in our family who came before. Look below and see. I posted this series back in 2011. This version has been updated with more information. I hope you find it as much fun as I do.

Even if it is not your birthday, look at the highlighted SURNAMES. Maybe you will see a name from your family & learn a little more about them. 

Click on the links to learn more about the people and places.




1 March    
1776    Anna Margaretha RITTER, b in PA, daughter of Johannes Ritter Sr.Maria Elisabeth Keck
1807    Jesse Kelly BRUMFIELD, born in South Carolina; son of John Brumfield & Margaret Kelly; husband of 
Hannah Ann Youngblood; father of 11 children. He died in Mississippi at the age of 77.
1885    Julia MULLANE was born in Tipperary, Ireland, daughter of Daniel  Mullane & Brigid English. Julia married Timothy Horgan in 1916. She d. 1918. 
1924     Louise 
Maxine ALFORD, daughter of Dewitt William Alford & Ina Lucille Brown; wife of Mr. White
19 48     Jeffrey M. WEISBERG, son of Milton Sydney Weisberg & Anne Bloom

2 March    
1827    Josiah BRUMFIELD, son of Willis Brumfield & Nancy Virginia Holmes
1890    Bessie Ella Bella SMITH, daughter of Walter Lorraine Smith & Emma Warren
 1904    Bertha FLICKINGER lived her life in Ohio, daughter of Andrew & Emma                             Flickinger. She married Charles Forest Mark in 1923. She wrote a short genealogy of the Mark family which was helpful to my research.
1914    Cecil Clare FORTENBERRY, son of Tate Edward FortenberryLucy Viola Brown, husband of Lovie Wilson
1915    Zelda Marie ALFORD, b in LA, daughter of Dewitt William Alford & Ina Lucille                 Brown, wife of Ray Luther Fortenberry
1920    Iris Elizabeth PIERCE, daughter of Arlie Wesley Pierce

3 March    
 1892    Denny Herbert SMITH b in MS, son of Elvin Dennie Smith & Nancy Cordelia                 Smith. He married Mavis Marie Brown, daughter of Jasper Pascal Brown and Rose Ella Brumfield.
1934    Lemuel Jerome FORTENBERRY, son of Duviox B. Fortenberry & Gussie Alford, husband of Evelyn Russell

4 March    
1845     Jesse E. BRUMFIELD, son of Davis Brumfield & Cynthia Holmes
1861    Willis Monroe FORTENBERRY, son of Willis James Fortenberry 
1877    Gertrude HAWK b in OH, daughter of William Hawk & Elizabeth Ritter. She married E. Rauderbaugh     

5 March    
1838    William L. DAVIS, husband of Narcissa A. Fortenberry
1880    Irene Edith WOLF, daughter of Peter Alfred Wolf 
 1924    Sylvia Rayleen BROWN b in Louisiana, daughter of Roy Jessie Brown and Mary Thelma Ellzey. She married Jessie Miles Hall in 1942. They had five children.

6 March    
1772    Heinrich FRANTZ, husband of Margaretta Ritter
1882    Jesse Lamar SIMMONS
 1920    Mary Alice ALFORD b in Louisiana, daughter of Dewitt William Alford & Ina Lucille Brown. She married George Bennett.

7 March    
1847    Michael COYLE, born in Irelandson of Michael Coyle & Mary Cunningham
1872     Needham Nugent ALFORD, son of Seaborn John Alford & Mary S. Kirk
1891    Maryanne COYLE b in CT, daughter of Patrick Coyle & Margaret Brady. She married William F Cass.
1926     Dean Forest RITTER, son of Fredrick Isaac Ritter & Elta Mae Sprankle

8 March    
1870    Infant RITTER b in Ohio, 12th child of Isaac Ritter & Isabell Fisher. Mother & child died in childbirth.
1879     Eckie John ELLZEY, son of Oscar J. Lafayette Ellzey & Elizabeth Fortenberry
1894    John N. LOBAUGH, son of John Adam Lobaugh & Christine Wolf
1902     Roy Jessie BROWN, son of Jasper Pascal BrownRose Ella Brumfield; husband of Ivy Regina Mark. Roy was my paternal grandfather. 

9 March    
 1801    Isaac BRUMFIELD b in SC, son of John Brumfield & Margaret Kelly. Isaac                         married Elizabeth Holmes. Their children were: Nathaniel, Jesse, Harrison & Lucy Jane.
1839    Adam WOLF, son of Andrew Wolf & Catherine Dick
1839    Anna Maria Catherine WOLF, daughter of Andrew Wolf &  Catherine Dick
1894    Napoleon Bonaparte BLADES, son of William Ephraim Blades & Morgana Josephine McDaniel

10 March    
 1820    Philip RITTER b in PA, son of Johannes Ritter, Jr. & Anna Mariah. Philip                         married Louisa Ann Kope. Their children were: Jacob, Henry & Mary.
1838    David Jackson MCCLENDON, husband of Eliza Jane Smith
1899    Helen Lucille JOLLIFF, daughter of Samuel Martin Jolliff & Margaret M. Mark
1900    Charles Cecil WOLF, son of Charles Albert Wolf
1903     Harold SWAGLER, son of Delbert Milton Swagler & Lena Bella Morrison

11 March    
 1789    Daniel RITTER b in PA, son of Martin Ritter & Anna Margaret Steininger.                     He married Lydia Knauss in 1812. They had three children.
1834     Louisa WOLF, daughter of Frederick Wolf & Louisa C Goetz
1849    Hamilton WOLF, son of Henry H Wolf & Maria Magdalena
1909     Grace Regina RYAN, wife of Thomas J. Brady

12 March    
1856    Benjamin C. FORTENBERRY, born in Mississippi; son Burrell Taylor Fortenberry & Eliza Jane Ellzey. He lived 38 years.
1881    Forest Emerson HAWK, son of William Hawk & Elizabeth Ritter. He married                     Millicent Cox. He’s my first cousin, three times removed.
1892    Spurgeon Ira SMITH, son of Walter Lorraine Smith
1915    Lemuel Q. FORTENBERRY; son of Lemuel Q. Fortenberry & Lillian Ellzey
1933    Onice Levaughn CUTRER, b in Alabama
      
13 March    
1828    Samantha Evangeline  BROWN, b in OH, daughter of Moses Brown & Nancy Chandler Perkins. She lived 23 years.
1829    John Shaffer ELLZEY Jr.
1888    Anna Ora Chloe MILLER, daughter of Henry C. Miller & Mary Catherine Ritter
 1913    Ruth Grace HURD, b in Michigan, daughter of Roy Hurd & Mona D. Morrison. Ruth married John Wortman. Their children were: Brenda, John & Danny.

14 March    
1834    Ann Julina RITTER, daughter of  Michael Ritter
1845    Ancil Green SMITH was the son of Jeremiah Smith & Pernecia Smith. Ancil died 18 June 1862, at the age of 17. Ancil was killed in the Civil War.
1857    Peter Jonathan MOORE, husband of Caroline Louise Gruissy

15 March    
1837    Martin Penn BRUMFIELD, b in LA, the son of Nathaniel Brumfield &                                 Charlotte Temple Ott. He served as a Private and later as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Louisiana Infantry. He died in 1862.
1929    Dana Jacob MARK, b in Ohio, son of Eslie Guy Mark & Golda Mae Warner




   

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Vintage Photograph: Brown & Mark, OH

 My great uncle Clarence W. Mark shared this photograph with me. Clarence is in the center of the photograph, standing with two of his sister's sons. Probably taken in the early 1940s in Ohio. I love how young they all look.

Vintage photographs are like little windows looking back in time.

A Window into the Past



Left to right:

20 Sep 1930 OH - 26 Oct 2017 NY
Son of Roy Jessie Brown & Ivy R. Mark

30 May 1917 OH - 1 Aug 2006 OH
Son of Thomas Kenneth Mark & Nancy Regina Victoria Gruissy
Cousin to Leo & Delbert

27 July 1928 OH - 24 Oct 2000 NY
Son of Roy Jessie Brown & Ivy R. Mark
My Father






Sunday, February 16, 2025

February Family Birthdays, February 16 - 29

 Is your birthday this month? Happy Birthday! 

Maybe you share your special day with someone in our family who came before. Look below and see. I posted this series before, in 2011. This version has been updated with more information. I hope you find it as much fun as I do. 

Even if it is not your birthday, look at the highlighted SURNAMES. Maybe you will see a name from your family & learn a little more about them.

Click on the links to learn more about the people & places. 




16 February   
1699 Melchior OTT, born in Switzerland, son of Hans Ott, husband of Gretchen Schmitts; He died in South Carolina, at the age of 56. He was my 7x great grandfather.
 1833    Benjamin Franklin WOLF, son of Andrew Wolf & 
Catherine Dick
1860    Mary Jane NEE
1937    Larry Lee BROWN, b in OH Ohio, fifth child of Roy Jessie Brown & Ivy Mark.  Larry served in the US Army during the Korean War. He was my godfather & paternal uncle.

17 February
1743    Johannes RITTER Sr., son of Heinrich Ritter & Maria Elizabeth Tutt, husband of Maria Elisabeth Keck; father of 11 children; lived 73 years in Pennsylvania. He was a Revolutionary War soldier.  He was my 5x great grandfather.
 1897    Harrison Edward WOLF, son of Charles Albert Wolf
 1906    Julia Agnes BRADY, daughter of Bartholomew Anthony Brady
 1924    Wilma Lucille SMITH, b in MS, daughter of Denny Herbert Smith & Mavis  Marie Brown. She married Henry Buhler. They had four children. 

18 February    
1812    Heinrich RITTER b PA, son of Henry Ritter & Lydia Knappenberger
1840    John Gazie FORTENBERRY, son of William M. Fortenberry & Christian Brown
1877    James Monroe FORTENBERRY, son of Thomas Benton Fortenberry                            Gabriella Sanders
1910    Martha Olivia MINTER,  daughter of Luther Minter & Clara Estella Wolf. She                 married John Alton Wolford.

19 February   
1852    Thomas Benton FORTENBERRY, son of Alfred Fortenberry & Aderine Faulk
1858     Lillian Florance WOLF, daughter of Joseph Wolf & Almeida Flickinger
1912    Thelma Corine WILSON was the daughter of Thomas Clarence Wilson & Euna                 Clarabelle Fortenberry. She married George Amacker. They had five children. 

20 February  
1751    Heinrich Wilhelm RITTER, son of Heinrich Ritter & Maria Elizabeth Tutt
1912    Otis Charles MASSIE
1924    Luther Felder CUTRER
1925    Walter Frank WILSON

21 February    
1809    Elizabeth RITTER b in PA, daughter of Martin Ritter and Anna Margaret                         Bogert. 
1862    Isabella Ketura NEE

22 February    
1780     John Henry RITTER, son of Casper Ritter & Hanna Ottilia Hertz
1846    Mariah B. HALL
1906    Mary Thelma ELLZEY, b in MS, daughter of William Ellzey & Amanda                             Fortenberry. Her first husband was Roy Jessie Brown. They had one daughter.

23 February    
1880    Alfred C. PFEIFER married Emma Jane Mark, daughter of William Mark &                 Elidia Rebecca Ritter. He died 8 April 1968. 
1912     Bruce Levett ALFORD, son of Dewitt William Alford & Ina Lucille Brown
1939    Janice MORRIS

24 February    
1853    Mary Catherine RITTER b in OH, daughter of Isaac Ritter and Isabell Fisher.                 She married Henry Miller on 15 June 1870. They had nine children.
1859    Newton FORTENBERRY, son of Alfred Fortenberry & Aderine MaryFaulk
1872    Elizabeth BRELAND
1873    Margaret Lewella WOLF, daughter of Frederick Jacob Wolf 
1930  Lacy  Lenora BALL, daughter of James Alton Ball & Mildred Olga Brown

25 February    
1881    Julius Walter SMITH, son of Walter Lorraine Smith & Emma Julia Warren
1937    Laurie Carolyn FORTENBERRY was the daughter of Duviox B. Fortenberry &                 Gussie Alford. She married Arthur Tribble, Jr. Their three children: Shauen,                     Gregory & Laurie.
        
26 February    
1763    Elisabeth ROHN married Johann Daniel Ritter, son of Casper Ritter & Anna                 Maria. Elisabeth & Johann had one son, Jonathan Ritter.
1868    Matilda Catherine GRUISSY, b in OH, daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy                Mary Ann Everett, wife of George Stanford
1902    Elmer FORTENBERRY, son of John Edward Fortenberry
1902    Ethan James TIMOTHY

27 February    
1766    Elizabeth RITTER
1838    William Jackson FORTENBERRY, son of Calvin Kennington Fortenberry &                     Narcissa Simmons
1877    Maria Bart CUTRER, daughter of Hiram Cutrer & Sarah Jane Fortenberry. 
1888    William Franklin ELLZEY
1908    Thelma Lady BROWN b in MS, daughter of Jasper Pascal BrownRose Ella Brumfield; She was my great aunt.
1926    Janet Irene MILLER

28 February    
1836    Emma WOLF, daughter of Frederick Wolf & Louisa C Goetz
1850    Mary O. BILBO
1854    Margaret Sarah WOLF, daughter of John Jonas Wolf & Sarah Ann Chronister
1886    Mary Jeanette MARK was one of 12 children of William Mark & Elidia   Rebeccca Ritter.  She married John Shaw. She died in a tragic car accident in 1940. Mary and John had one daughter, Olive Margaret Shaw.
1888    Little B. THORNHILL

29 February    
1916    James Lemar SIMMONS was the son of Jesse Lama Simmons & Edith                             Brumfield. He married Odean Ellzey.
1920    Agnes Marie HEIGLE




Thursday, February 13, 2025

Family Treasure: Joy's Valentine

 A Family Treasure


This pendant belonged to my mother,
It was given to her by my father,

My father liked to sketch a quick heart on notes or cards to my mother. He'd draw a heart with an arrow through the center. Inside he'd write 'DK + Joy' or 'Joy'. 
On one special occasion he went to a jeweler and had his sketch made into a black onyx & diamond pendant for my mother. She wore it many times.
Now it is a family treasure.






Monday, February 10, 2025

Soldier Home from WWII, 1946

This man has been elusive because his name can be seen as both Charles Edward & Edward Charles. Now that I have discovered this, I plan to search for his military record during World War II.


Edward Charles Brumfield

b 2 Mar 1924 in Mississippi

Son of Fletcher Boyd Brumfield & Mattie Hannah Brumfield




Source:

Enterprise - Journal, McComb MS

21 Jan 1946, page 2









Saturday, February 1, 2025

February Family Birthdays, February 1 - 15

 Is your birthday in February? Maybe you share your special day with someone in our family who came before. Look below and see. Happy Birthday!

I posted this series in 2011. This version has been updated with more information. I hope you find it as much fun as I do.

Even if it is not your birthday, look at the highlighted SURNAMES. Maybe you will see a name from your family & learn a little more about them.

Click on the links to learn more. 


1 February    

1787    Nancy PERKINS was the second wife of Moses Brown. His first wife, Sarah                     Robertson, died in 1810 in Georgia. She had four children. She was my 4th great grandmother. Nancy had seven children, 4 daughters and 3 sons. 
1861    Euseba FORTENBERRY, daughter of Alfred Fortenberry & Aderine M Faulk
1884    Clara Estella WOLF
      
2 February    
1805    Christian BROWN, daughter of Moses Brown & Sarah Robertson, wife of                         William M. Fortenberry
1842    Samuel RITTER, son of John B. Ritter & Mary Kemmerer
1853    Samuel WOLF
1856    Sarah Euseba Elizabeth ELLZEY
1906    Otera PIERCE, married Lynn Elias Blades
 1915    Francis WEISBERG was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Frank Samuel                 Weisberg & Florence Gartner. He was my first cousin, once removed.  He was a                 furniture salesman at one time. Late in life he moved to Florida.

3 February    
1717    Maria Magdalena WOLF
1792    Jacob RITTER, son of Martin Ritter & Anna Margaret Steininger, husband of Anna Bogert; lived 38 years; father of 4 
1924    Harold Jay NEE b in Ohio, the son of Roy Edward Nee and Isabell Esther  Mark. He and his wife, Pauline, had four children.  He served in the US  Army during World War II.

4 February    
1932    Dick Alvin PARKER, born in Ohio, the son of Ralph Alvin Parker & Nellie                         Irene Jolliff. Dick and his wife, Bonita, had three children.

5 February    
1810    Sarah BROWN,  b in Georgia, daughter of Moses Brown and Sarah                                     Robertson. She married Gasua Chapman Fortenberry. They had nine children. Sarah died in 1883 in Mississippi.
1890    Harvey Allen RITTER, son of Anthony Casper Ritter & Emma Alice Mowrer
1899    Nellie Lavinia MESSMORE, daughter of William Henry Messmore & Susan Isabel Ritter, wife of James Bigler
1928    Donald Ray BROPHY

6 February    
1886    Edward MESSMORE
1936    Loyal David NOTHSTEIN
1925    James Joseph COYLE b in CT, son of James Joseph Coyle & Madeline Herbst.                 He married Barbara Kozlak. They had three children. 

7 February   
 1777    Moses BROWN was one of eight children of Edward Brown. He died 27                         February 1838 in Mississippi. He was my 4th great grandfather. 
1828    Aderine Mary FAULK, wife of Alfred Fortenberry
1857    Barbary Ann RITTER, daughter of Isaac Ritter & Isabell Fisher
1880    James Benton MARK, son of David Mark & Mary Ann Clason
1884    Lulu Mabel HAWK, daughter of William Hawk & Elizabeth Ritter

8 February    
1775    Johan Jonas WOLF, son of Johann Jonas Wolf & Appollonia Dick
1887    Catherine MULLANE was born in Ireland, was one of twelve children of Daniel             Mullane and Brigid English.  
1890    Roger T. ELLZEY, son of William Franklin Ellzey & Mary Elizabeth Gatlin

9 February 
1819    Margaret BRUMFIELD, born in Louisiana, daughter of Willis Brumfield                         and Nancy Virginia Holmes. She married John Seaborn ALFORD, son  of Jacob Alford and Frances Seaborn.
1920    Virginia Caroline MOORE, daughter of Floyd Bernard Moore & Anna Slaby

10 February  
1891    Infant Girl ALFORD,  born in Mississippi, the 12th child of Needham Edwin                 Alford & Mary Luzina Stafford. The baby died on the day she was born.
1905    Homer Grant SHEETS, husband of Mary Mildred Jolliff

11 February  
1828    Henrietta C. RITTER, daughter of Daniel Ritter & Lydia Knauss
1883    Emaline Floy MOORE, b in Ohio, daughter of Peter Jonathan Moore &                         Caroline Louise Gruissy. On 14 February 1901 she married Arther Spice. 

12 February 
1773    Adam WOLF, son of Johann Jonas Wolf & Appollonia Dick
1797    Jonas MOYER
1825    Hollis Horton FORTENBERRY, son of William Jasper Fortenberry & Violette Kennington
1877    William M. MARK, son of William MarkElidia Rebecca Ritter, lived his life                 in Ohio
1896    Earnest T. ELLZEY
1938    Peggy BROWN was the daughter of Hubert Allen Brown & Freddie Smith.                     She married George Alford. She was my father’s first cousin. 
       
13 February   
 1840    William Franklin FORTENBERRY b in MS, son of Gasua C Fortenberry & Sarah Brown.  He married Mariah B. Hall. He was known as  ‘Black Frank’.
1852    Howell K. FORTENBERRY, husband of Mary Ann Alford
1872    Bernard COYLE, son of Patrick Coyle & Margaret Brady
1895    Ralph William WOLF, son of Charles Albert Wolf

14 February    
1804    George KRICK, husband of Anna Hoover
1811    Eliza SMITH, b Mississippi, one of thirteen children of Jeremiah Smith &                         Joanna Dillon.  She died 6 April 1837, at the age of 26.
1860    Salena Lena BLADES, daughter of Benjamin Blades & Hollander E. Morris
1910    Margaret Mary BRADY, daughter of Bartholomew Anthony Brady

15 February    
1839    Jesse Alexander BRUMFIELD, son of Jesse K Brumfield & Hannah A Youngblood
1904    Effie Margaret CARTER, born in Ohio, daughter of Frank Carter & Sadie                     Mapes. She married James Everett Mark on 31 December 1924. They had 11                     children. 
1905    Floy Alma SPICE, daughter of Arthur Spice & Lafayette, Medina, Ohio, USA





Saturday, January 25, 2025

Forget Me Not: Isabell Mark Nee Ream, 1984 OH

 Isabell was the sister of my paternal grandmother, Ivy R. Mark Brown. We visited her in Ohio when I was young. I remember her many pretty knick knacks. My brothers and I were cautioned by our parents to be careful of the fragile objects. I remember she had a mirror in her bedroom. She cut our pictures of flowers from cards and adhered them all around the mirror. As a little girl, I thought it was beautiful. 



Isabell Esther Mark Nee Ream

21 Dec 1903 OH - 9 Mar 1984 OH

Daughter of

Thomas Kenneth Mark & Nancy Regina Victoria Gruissy

 

Wife of:

Roy Edward Nee, m 5 Nov 1922

&

William Ream, m 29 Jan 1977


Wadsworth – Isabell E. (Nee) Ream, 80, died March 9 at the Wadsworth Health Care Center after a lengthy illness.

 

Mrs. Ream was born in Medina County and resided in the Wadsworth – Seville area most of her life. She was Wadsworth Township Clerk for eight years, and a member of ACME Lutheran Church. She was a former member of the Wadsworth United Methodist Church, where she was a nursery teacher for over 25 years, and a member of the United Methodist Women. She also participated in senior citizens groups.

 

She is survived by husband, William, whom she married Jan. 29, 1977; sons, Harold J. Nee of Wadsworth, Paul K. Nee of Arvada, Colo.; six grandchildren; 13 great – grandchildren; brothers, Owen Mark of River Styx, Clarence Mark of Akron, Ind.; sisters, Vera Ballard of Lakeland, Fla., Ivy Brown of Kinderhook, N. Y., Viola Nothstein of White Plains, Md., Wava Braun of Seville.

 

The family will receive friends at the Hillard – Cox – Mullaney Funeral Home, 174 N. Lyman St., Wadsworth, Sunday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p. m., where services will be held Monday, 11 a. m., Rev. Vernel A. Lundeen officiating. Interment Woodlawn cemetery. Contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church Nursery or ACME Lutheran Church Library.

 

Source: Newspapers.com

The Akron Beacon – Journal, Akron, OH

10 March 1984, page 26