Hoping My Ancestors Approve

Dorene from The Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay and Terri from The Ties That Bind honored me with the Ancestors Approved Award. Thank you both. I'm grateful that you like my efforts to share my family history and also I hope that my ancestors approve.

This award comes with two assignments:
#1 List 10 things I have learned about my ancestors that have surprised, humbled, or enlightened me
#2 Pass the award to 10 other genealogy bloggers who I think are doing their ancestors proud


I'd like to pass the award to the following bloggers:

Olive's Granddaughter at Grandma's Stitches
Leah at Random Notes
Aunt Annie's Grand-neice at Dear Annie...
John Newmark at Transylvania Dutch
Mindy at Roots and Branches
Stephanie at The Ancestor Blog
Kerry Scott at Clue Wagon
Mavis Jones at Conversations with My Ancestors
Chery Kinnick at Nordic Blue
Rachel at Folk are the Thing


I am surprised, humbled, or enlightened...
...to learn that I have a paternal and a maternal great-grandmother who both had 15 or more children.
...to know that one of my great-grandmothers lost all but 6 of her 15 children (ages newborn to adult) before she died.
...to realize that many of my male ancestors on both sides of my family were very short.
...at the hard work that families did on farms in previous generations.
...to learn that I have coalminers on both sides of my family.
...to see family resemblances across 3 generations.
...to learn that one of my great-great-grandfathers was a junk collector.
...to see that within 3 generations one line of a family name can completely end.
...at the generosity of family members in sharing their knowledge about those who have already passed on.
...to learn that some of my ancestors was literate and some were not.


Thanks again, Dorene and Terri, for this award. I appreciate it.