Welcome to the Family!
Oct 2nd, 2008 | By Rick | Category: Welcome to the Family!I’m afraid I haven’t accomplished very much along the lines of family history this past month. That’s the bad news. The good news is… we have some new cousins, giving me the perfect excuse to make you guys do the work I keep putting off.
I’ve had every intention, since this site went up a year or so ago, to compile a page of readers, researchers, contributors, stalkers and gawkers so we can all keep track of who’s doing what. Problem is, I keep losing track of who descends from who and who’s where and what’s what. I’m like that. I can keep track of DEAD people just fine, it’s the living ones that escape me.
So here’s the proposal… leave us a comment with your first name, who you’re descended from, and what part of the country you’re in. Any particluar areas of interest at the moment? I, for one, tend to bounce from one subject to another depending on who’s called or e-mailed most recently. One thing I can tell you for sure, most of us ARE related, it’s just a question of how far back we have to go to find the link.
I realize that some of you are shyer than others and I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable, so if you’d rather, just e-mail me: Rick (at) rickleonard.net. I really enjoy being able to “hook people up” (so to speak and get your minds out of the gutter)… when they’re living near each other and/or researching the same immediate family.
So that’s it. That’s all I’ve got for now and here’s what my own comment would look like, if I, uh, didn’t own this blog…
“My name’s Rick and I’m an alco… wait. Let me start over. I’m Rick and I descend from Solomon(1) through Isaac(2), Benjamin(3), Caleb(4), Caleb, Jr.(5), Daniel(6), William(7), Daniel(8), Guy(9), and my grandparents. I live in a Seattle suburb but focus most of my research on Iowa and southwest Pennsylvania. I focus mostly on my great-great grandfather Daniel(8), but I’ve learned a LOT about him by researching his eight siblings Edmund(8), Isaac(8), Lydia Ann(8), William(8), Joseph(8), Mary Jane(8), James Herron (8) and Thomas(8). One of my goals is to collect pictures of each of them, which isn’t easy, given that they scattered to six states in the 1800s. That’s not to say I’m not interested in the rest of the family, I am… there are some real characters back there! Feel free to contact me at Rick (at) rickleonard.net.”
If you feel like including an e-mail address that’s fine but it might be better to keep it private and I’ll ask you when somebody wants contact. I have most of your addresses already anyway.
When all is said and done, I’ll collect all the info and post it on a separate page, over there in the right-hand column, so we’ll all have reminders of who’s who, and where, and when.
Cheers, y’all!
Rick
I am Jennifer and am through the line with Lucretia Jennings, who was the wife of Daniel. My great great great grandfather, Degress (Degrass, De Grasse, etc spellings)was Lucretia’s brother. I do research on ALL branches of the family as each new branch may sprout new clues to mine. I live in the Beallsville/Bentleyville/Vanceville area of PA, about 8 miles from where the Jennings’ and Leonard’s had settled. With lots of history books at my disposal (here at my house), I can do some lookups if I have the info. My email (that wont change) is jenster11174@yahoo.com. Rick has the one I pay for if for some reason I would not answer you.
Happy hunting!
Hi everyone! My name is Shannon and I am descended from Solomon(1); Isaac(2); Benjamin(3); Caleb(4); Caleb Jr.(5); Daniel(6); William(7); Isaac(8); Andrew Jackson(9); John Braden(10); James Richard Sr.(11); my Dad, and of course me. My Isaac(8) and Rick’s Daniel(8) were brothers. Isaac claims the same birth date as Daniel, but to date, no documentation of them being twins has surfaced. Wouldn’t that be a find! I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. My Dad grew up in Washington County, PA, near the areas where so many of our LEONARD descendants lived and raised their families. I have been heavily researching my family for the past three years. My great grandmother, Queene Sharp Leonard, married to John Braden(10) told my Dad many stories about her SHARP family as he grew up. A trip to Gettysburg, PA, and finding the names of my ggg grandfather Sharp and ggg uncle for myself on the Pennsylvania Memorial three years ago peaked my curiosity and got me going, and I haven’t been able to stop! I have been making regular pilgrimages to Gettysburg ever since as I unravel their stories. My primary research to-date has been on my SHARP family, who also resided in the Washington County area. What stories they have! I was so excited to come across Rick and this wonderful website. I have learned so much about our wonderful LEONARD family thanks to him and all of you. As time goes on, I hope to contribute even more regarding my LEONARD line so future generations of our family can love and appreciate our LEONARD family as we all do.
Hi everyone! My name is Pam and I am descended from Solomon (1)through (2) John, (3) Moses, (4) Andrew, (5) Amos, (6) Dorothy Stevens, (7) Samuel Brooks, (8) Charles Wesley Brooks, (9) Adelie Estelle Brooks, (10) George Alton Beers, (11) Anna Mae Beers, (12) my dad James Bush and (13) me. I am researching the Leonard-Brooks-Beers-Bush lineage.
I am not only researching my family tree but also my mom’s family who we like to say meet the our Mayflower cousins on the border of the United States. My mom’s main family hails from Johnstown, PA.
I am also a Civil War Reenactor and I am researching family members who fought in the War of Northern Aggression.
Through all my research I hope to contribute to the Leonard line all that I have found and share it with everyone.
You guys are awesome, thanks! Now the rest of you… Sean, Polly, Annie, Sharon… I know you’re out there, I can hear you breathing.
I can also see the rest of you, visiting from Montreal, London, Ottawa, Vancouver, Switzerland(?) & Australia… whuzzup? Now, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania… don’t MAKE me drag it out of you…
Hello Everyone! My name is Polly and my line of descent is Solomon(1), Isaac(2), Benjamin(3), Caleb(4), Caleb Jr.(5), Daniel(6), William(7), Isaac(8), Andrew Jackson(9), John Braden(10), John Braden Jr.(10), Cheryl(11), and me. I live in Northern Virginia (Loudoun County), a suburb of Washington, DC. I never followed or researched genealogy until I stumbled across Rick’s website while “googling” my grandfather’s name. I was hooked immediately (it helped that Rick’s website is so engaging and well organized). I began digging into my branch - as outlined above - and discovered a very close cousin - Shannon. Her dad and my mom grew up together and have reconnected since Shannon and I “met”. I am very interested in all of the generations but have a special feeling for Caleb Jr. who as near as I can tell was quite a character. In the future I plan to write a “profile” piece on him. Since finding Rick’s website nine months ago, I have made two trips back to Washington County, found the ancestors gravesites, many of their towns/villages, and even dug up some dirt on a few of them (figuratively speaking). The image I have conjured of these ancestors from reading their wills, observing who and when they married, how they earned a living, their involvement in their communities, and how long they lived - is a smart, lively, healthy, and spirited bunch. Feel free to contact me anytime - Rick has my info.
Yes Rick, I am here and still breathing. I will put something together this weekend. Working in Day Treatment sometimes makes me feel like I should be a patient.
Annie
My Leonard ancestors are Solomon(1), Isaac(2), Benjamin(3), Caleb(4), Caleb, Jr.(5), Daniel(6), William(7), Edumund(8), William Jackson(9), Eleanor(10), and my mother. (So I’m a (12).) I’ve been fortunate to find that at least two of the four grandparents’ (Emery and Leonard) lines have been well researched, as well as one of the great-grandparent’s lines. I was pleased to find that each have been here almost as long as the Leonards. (And two old books on them had already been scanned by Google.) Even so, there are still enough holes to fill in and additional information to find. Through coincidence, I currently live in the Pittsburgh area, which makes it easier to go look for myself. Having recently started, I’m still catching up on my direct Leonard line, but I’ve also recently found that there were Emerys, (though not in my direct line), that lived in southwestern PA. I’m interested to see if any of them crossed paths with Leonards. The other lineages are proving a bit more challenging to investigate. I stumbled over Rick’s website while researching some photos I found a couple of years back, but to which I hadn’t paid much attention.
I think that about covers it for now, Rick, so I’ll go back to lurking…
Hi Rick,
Annie here with the Michigan Leonards’. I descend from (1)Solomon 1610-1671 (2)Isaac 1649-1717 (3)Benjamin 1686-bef. 1749 (4) William B. 1724-1808 This William was the first person whose will was probated in Knox Co. OH. (5)Rev. Lot 1754-1847 (6) William 1784-1814 This William is to believed to have died under mysterious circumstances. (7) Rev. William 1812-1875 This William was a conductor on the Underground Railroad before moving to Michigan in 1865 (8)Archibald 1838-1910 (9) Hiram Ezekiel 1971-1956 (10) Orlin Merl 1905-1990 (11) Dorothy Louisa 1927-still living. and me (12) Anna Marie Harless 1952-still living. Now wasn’t this fun with all the William’s? I’ve been conversing with Rick and our cousin Allan for about a year now. Thanks. I have been doing our tree for about 20 years. I welcome anyone to contact me and also add additions and comments.
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