Happy Thanksgiving
May all the Leaves on your Family Tree
Hang together and Enjoy the day!
- - - Colleen
Leaves & Branches: Genealogy, Research & Family History
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving
Sunday, November 16, 2025
November Birthdays, November 16 - 30
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 & places.
16 November
1776 Christianna WOLF, born in Pennsylvania, daughter of Johann Jonas Wolf & Appollonia Dick.
1902 Madrlyn LONG
1927 Mary Arline Parker FRAVEL
17 November
1872 Sarah Agie NEE, daughter of Henry Nee & Matilda Millan.
18 November
1849 Abraham Martin MARK, son of Abraham Mark & Mary Isabella Heffelfinger
1864 Annie Idelia McCLENDON
1879 William J. F. FORTENBERRY was the son of William Jackson Fortenberry & Elizabeth Rebecca Pigott. He married Annie Myrtis Ellzey. William died in 1966.
19 November
1799 Jacob RITTER, son of Johannes Ritter Jr.
1825 Rebecca WOLF, daughter of Frederick Wolf & Louisa C Goetz
1899 Freddie Beatrice SMITH, daughter of Elvin Dennie Smith & Nancy Cordelia Smith; wife of Hubert Allen Brown; mother of 6 children
1903 TWINS: Mellie Arlene JOLLIFF & Nellie Irene JOLLIFF, b in Ohio, daughters of Samuel Martin Jollliff & Margaret Maude Mark. Mellie married Karl Jackson Miller. They had one child. Nellie married Ralph Alvin Parker and had three children. Nellie lived to be 90 years old and Mellie lived to be 91 years old.
20 November
1820 Henry H. WOLF, born in Pennsylvania, son of John Frederick Wolf & Esther Barbara Schaffer. They had four children.
21 November
1770 Catherine WOLF, daughter of Johann Jonas Wolf & Appollonia Dick
1821 Solomon B. RITTER, born in Pennsylvania, son of Martin Ritter & Anna Margaret Bogert. He married Amanda M. Rumfield.
1845 Sarah Lucy BRUMFIELD, daughter of Nathaniel Brumfield & Charlotte Temple Ott
22 November
1894 Grace Eleanor SMITH, daughter of Walter Lorraine Smith & Emma Julia Warren.
23 November
1812 Isabella FORTENBERRY, daughter of William Jasper Fortenberry
1836 Sarah Jane SMITH, daughter of Elias V. Smith & Ann Crews
1858 Catherine WOLF
1865 Mary Magdalene GRUISSY was born in Ohio, daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy & Mary Ann Everett. In 1889 she married Albert F. Lutz. They had no children. At one time they ran a restaurant in Medina, Ohio.
1934 Jeanette Rose Brown, OH. Daughter of Roy Jessie Brown and Ivy Regina Mark. The family moved to New York State circe 1940.Mother of four. My aunt
24 November
1870 Michael COYLE was born in Ireland, son of Patrick Coyle & Margaret Brady. He came to the USA in 1885. In 1895 he married Mary Josephine Mullane in New York City. They had seven children. He was a Baker. He was my great grandfather. He was last seen by his family about 1927, when his wife died. I would like to know what happened to him.
25 November
1792 Edwin Barksdale ALFORD, born in North Carolina, son of Jacob Alford & Elizabeth Bryant. In 1818 he married Martha P. Smith in Mississippi. They had 13 children, all born in Mississippi. He was my 3x great grandfather. He died in 1878.
1876 TWINS: Emma D. RITTER, & Nora Gelaina RITTER, daughters of John William Ritter & Ruth Anna Scott. Emma lived 92 years. Nora's death date is unknown to this researcher.
1903 Edna FORTENBERRY, daughter of Joseph Gazie Fortenberry & Corine McDaniel
26 November
1812 Frederick RITTER, son of Johannes Ritter Jr.
1824 James MORRIS
1859 Conrad HERBST
1909 William REAM
1912 Vera Mary HURD was born in Michigan, daughter of Roy Hurd & Mona D. Morrison. Vera married Herbert Dunsmore. They had two sons.
27 November
1858 Emma Julia WARREN, born in Louisiana. She married Walter Lorraine Smith. They had 14 children.
1906 Maggie Pearl FORTENBERRY, daughter of Joseph Gazie Fortenberry & Corine McDaniel
1915 Wesley P. ELLZEY
28 November
1829 Willis James FORTENBERRY, born in Mississippi, son of William Jasper Fortenberry & Violette Kennington. In 1912 he married Louisa Blackwell. They had seven children.
29 November
1877 Arther SPICE
1927 Joseph James COYLE was born in CT, son of James Joseph Coyle & Madeline Herbst.
30 November
1857 Christine WOLF
1908 Duviox B. FORTENBERRY was the son of Lemuel Q. Fortenberry & Lillian Ellzey. He married Gussie Alford. They had four children.
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Vintage Photograph: Coleman & Kilday, CT
Vintage photographs are like little windows looking back in time.
A Window into the Past
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Margaretta E. Kilday Coleman
b 8 September 1889 New Haven,CT
Wife of John Coleman
John Coleman
A few other Vintage Photographs:
Saturday, November 1, 2025
November Birthdays, November 4 - 15
Is your birthday in November? 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 & places.
4 November
1711 Anna Ottilla KNACK was my sixth great grandmother. She was born in Germany where she married Johan Adam Dick in 1731. They came to America in 1738 and settled in Pennsylvania. They had seven children, the first three born in Germany and the fourth born at sea while sailing to America. Anna lived to be 70 years old.
1827 Samuel WOLF, son of Frederick Wolf & Louisa C Goetz. He lived his life in Pennsylvania.
5 November
1883 Addie Angeline CUTRER married Walter Lee Blades, son of William Blades & Morgana McDaniel. They had two children: Ira & Velma.
6 November
1886 Anna Slaby MOORE
1911 Susie SMITH, wife of Alton Woodrow Wilson
1915 Ernest Miles MARK was born in Ohio, son of Amos Martin Mark & Lillian Hoverstock. He married Helen Virginia Sampsel. Four children: Carl, Naomi, Marita & Melvin. He was a farmer in Chester Township and later a custodian at Congress Junior High School. He was my first cousin, twice removed.
1916 William T. COYLE, son of William Paul Coyle & Lauretta Niail
7 November
1781 Martin RITTER, son of Martin Ritter & Anna Margaret Steininger; father of 11 children; He lived 81 years.
1927 Jessie Elizabeth OVERBY was born in Kentucky. She married Bernarr Jessee Reynolds in 1950 in Oregon. They had three children: Michael, Rebecca & Patrick.
8 November
1877 Ralph Clyaton KAUFMAN, husband of Margaret Maude Mark
1884 Clement RITTER, son of Anthony Casper Ritter & Emma Alice Mowrer
1901 Vernon Arthur SPICE was born in Ohio, son of Arthur Spice & Emaline Floy Moore. Vernon married Gladys B. Johnson. Four children: Loren, Marilyn, Neil & Carol.
1902 Peter C. MORRISON
1929 Robert John SOMMER
9 November
1870 Joseph Martin ALFORD was born in Louisiana, son of Needham Edwin Alford & Mary Louiza Stafford. He died in 1962.
10 November
1749 Anna Barbara RITTER, daughter of Martin Ritter
1749 Martin RITTER, son of Heinrich Ritter & Maria Elizabeth Tutt
1823 Isaac Nelson BRUMFIELD was born in Louisiana, son of Willis Brumfield & Nancy Virginia Holmes. He married Sarah J. Smith in 1854 in Mississippi. They had ten children.
1892 Madeline HERBST
11 November
1854 Emma Louise WOLF was the third child of Jeremiah Wolf & Eliza Ann Reigle. She died in 1856, only 23 months old.
12 November
1812 Abraham MARK was born in Corliss, Pennsylvania. He’s my third great grandfather. I have been unable to find any information on his parents or siblings. He married Mary Isabella Heffelfinger. They had eight sons. Four served in the Civil War.
1912 William Francis BRADY
14 November
1838 Julius Newton ALFORD, son of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P. Smith, husband of Mary Margaret Brumfield. He was my 3x great uncle.
1874 Marian Francis MARK, son of William Mark & Emma Abeline Flory
1927 John Edward DENISON was born in Louisiana, son of Jimmie Dean Denison& Jessie Ola Hall. He died in 2002 in Germany.
15 November
1808 Jesse BALL married Cynthia Ann Alford, daughter of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P. Smith.
1888 Noah E. BALDES
1909 Lloyd HEIGLE
1913 Isaac Omer CUTRER
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Forget Me Not: Catharine Wotring Ritter, 1897 PA
This obituary gave me more information than I had before I read it. It was a happy discovery. I am happy when I can blog about someone, like Catharine, to help them to live on and, maybe, for their family to find them.
Jonas is my second cousin, 5x removed.
Catharine Wotring
1824 – 2 July 1897 PA
Wife of Jonas Ritter
1805 PA – 1885 PA
Mrs. Catharine, widow of Jonas Ritter, died this morning at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Willoughby Heintzelman, at 520 Liberty Street, of apoplexy, aged 73 years. Her husband died 13 years ago at Ballietsville. Three sons and two daughters survive, Henry and Franklin P., of Ballietsville, and I. J. Ritter, Mrs. Heintzelman and Miss Kitty Ritter, of Allentown. The funeral will take place on Monday at 8 o’clock at the house. Regular services and burial will take place at Egypt, Rev. Dr. Hofford officiating.
Source:
Newspapers.com
The Allentown Leader, Allentown PA
2 July 1987, page 4
Saturday, October 25, 2025
VIntage Photographs: Brown & Fortenberry
Vintage photographs are like little windows looking back in time.
A Window into the Past
William M. Fortenberry
28 Dec 1799 SC - 27 Oct 1867
Son of Isaac Fortenberry & Bethany Magee
His wife,
Christian Brown
2 Feb 1805 SC - Sep 1860 MS
Daughter of Moses Brown & Sarah Roberston
My 4th great aunt
A few other Vintage Photographs:
Thursday, October 16, 2025
October Birthdays, October 16 - 31
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 & places.
16 October
1836 Louisa Ollevia FORTENBERRY, daughter of Gasua Chapman Fortenberry
1868 Margaret NEE
1888 Lucy Viola BROWN was born in Mississippi, daughter of Jasper Pascal Brown & Rose Ella Brumfield. She married Tate Edward Fortenberry in 1908. Their children: Kenneth, Shirley & Cecil.
17 October
1871 Algedena GRUISSY was the second child of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy & Esther Barbara Wolf. She died in Ohio the year she was born. Of Esther & Augustus’ five children, three died as children.
1884 Mary C. SMITH
18 October
1781 John George WOLF, son of Johan Friedrich Wolf
1877 Milton Adolphus SMITH, son of Walter Lorraine Smith
19 October
1917 Nathalee SMITH was the oldest child of Denny Herbert Smith & Mavis Marie Brown. She married Jerry Sidney Comeaux in 1941.
20 October
1794 Susan GREEN
1813 Margaretha RITTER
1860 Gabriella SANDERS
1866 Bartholomew Anthony BRADY was born in Ireland, son of Thomas Brady & Catherine Gibney. He married Mary Agnes Reddan in 1900 in New Jersey. Bartholomew was a policeman for East Orange, New Jersey. He retired in 1931.
21 October
1857 Anna Esther WOLF was born in Iowa. She was the daughter of William Wolf & Sarah Jane Wilson. She married Thomas Filmore Dickson. James Frederick Dickson was their son.
23 October
1805 Maria RITTER, daughter of Henry Ritter
1863 Caroline Louise GRUISSY was born in Ohio, daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy & Mary Ann Everett. In 1882 she married Peter Jonathan Moore. Their children: Emaline, Lillian Vera, Floyd, Frances Gertrude, Elizabeth & Ralph. She died in 1936.
1900 Donna Strom BROPHY
1900 Alva Edwin ELLZEY
24 October
1824 Henry William Leander LEWIS
1852 Emma Abbline FLORY was the first wife of William Mark. They married in 1870, after he returned from the Civil War. They had two children: Cora Bell & Marian. She died in 1877, at the age of 24.
1863 Martha E. ALFORD, daughter of Hines Berry Alford & Louansa Wadford
1887 Clarence WOLF, son of Frederick Jacob Wolf
1899 George Washington CUTRER
25 October
1790 Mary Magdelena RITTER, daughter of Johannes Ritter Sr. & Maria Elisabeth Keck
1853 Richard FORTENBERRY was born in Mississippi, son of Alfred Fortenberry & Aderine Mary Faulk. He was my first cousin, 4 times removed.
1869 Julius J. ALFORD, son of Seaborn S. Alford MD & Anice Ball
1908 Theodore Roosevelt MORRIS
1909 Delphin Delmus MORRIS
26 October
1779 Nancy Ann DILLON was born in North Carolina, daughter of Richard Dillon & Anne Lawrence. She married John Stallings. Nancy died in 1869.
1852 Leah E. BRUMFIELD, daughter of Jesse Kelly Brumfield & Hannah Ann Youngblood
1878 Frank Samuel WEISSBERG, son of Morris Weissberg & Rose Bankin, husband of Florence Gartner. He married my great aunt.
27 October
1765 Cornelia KNIGHT
1845 Elias McDANIEL
1888 Frances Gertrude MOORE was born in Ohio, daughter of Peter Jonathan Moore & Caroline Louise Gruissy. She married William Clarence Brophy. Their children: Glen, Caroline & Donald. In 1920 William worked for the Gas & Fuel Company.
28 October
1877 Jason Abraham ALFORD was born in Mississippi, son of Needham Edwin Alford & Mary Louiza Stafford. Jason lived to be 96 years old.
1896 James Everett MARK, son of William Mark & Elidia Rebecca Ritter; he is my 2x great uncle. He married Effie Margaret Carter.
1918 Woodrow Wilson SIMMONS
29 October
1718 Maria Barbara WOLF, daughter of Johan Jacob Wolf & Anna Barbara Orth
1808 Salome ROTH
1869 Frances Dora ALFORD, daughter of Needham Edwin Alford & Mary Luzina , Stafford. She lived 51 years.
1874 Dewitt William ALFORD, son of Seaborn S. Alford MD & Anice Ball
1909 Shirley FORTENBERRY was born in Mississippi, son of Tate Edward Fortenberry & Lucy Viola Brown. He married Thelma Ginn. They had three children: Charles, Dorothy & Shirlene.
1929 Barbara A. KOZLAK
30 October
1875 Clarence Lee Guy WOLF was born in Iowa, son of Isaac Ezra Wolf & Mary Cathrina Wireman. He married Maude E. Collins in 1901 in Oklahoma.
31 October
1916 Kathleen Gloria COYLE was born in New York City, the youngest child of Michael Coyle & Mary Josephine Mullane. She never married, living with her sisters. She died in Arizona in 2007. She was my great aunt.
1919 Selwyn Alex BRUMFIELD, son of John Edward Brumfield & Ada Beatrice Fortenberry
1930 Seth O. DILLON Jr., husband of Bobbye Earl Fortenberry
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