Political Prisoner of War - Dachau Concentration Camp

In May 2017, I wrote a post detailing my connection to Peter Josef Hasenstab, who was my great-grandfather's first cousin. Many in the family immigrated to America, while other family members remained in Germany. DNA testing revealed that my mom was not a biological Hasenstab a couple of years ago.  That didn't matter. Peter has always intrigued me and been a part of the family.  I've spent a significant amount of time searching for information about him, and he continues to hold a special place in our family tree. 

Unfortunately, it seems like this is all I will ever know about his life.

April 18, 1897 Peter Yosef Hasenstab was born in Gailbach - 

 

1914-1918 - Peter served in WW1 in Germany in the Artillery 

From February 1933, the Gestapo arrested individuals whom the Nazis believed could endanger the "people and state," according to the title of the Reichstag Fire Decree. They sent them to concentration camps as "protective custody" prisoners. Most of them were political prisoners, homosexuals, Jews, Gypsies, and Jehovah's Witnesses. They could be held indefinitely without trial. They arrested communists, socialists, social democrats, trade unionists, and other opponents of the regime and sent them to the early concentration camps.

Sept 16, 1937, Peter entered the Dachau Concentration Camp by train (Zug) 

He was listed as a prisoner of war with the category Sch. DR (protective custody prisoner/Political Prisoner) Category translates to Prisoner German. 

 

According to the sources listed, It is believed Peter died there in Dachau, and his body was buried in Mauthausen, which was another Concentration Camp.

At the Mauthausen Memorial, in the room of Names, there is a Peter Hasenstab, although the dates are off a bit.  Could this be my Peter Hasenstab? 

Born 12.4.1897 in Gailbach / Aschaffenburg

Died 9.5.1940

I believe there are two Peter Hasenstabs! 

I have submitted these sources and requested that they verify my information. It's a slight possibility that they are the same, but I do have to rule it out one way or another. 

My gut tells me the name is probably fairly common, and other documentation lists him with his middle name of Josef. 

However, the above record says he is at the Dachau KZ Cemetery. 

The Nazis kept good records. There must be another Peter Hasenstab.

There's always a mystery, isn't there? 

I also sent in for information at the Dachau KZ, where I believe my Peter Josef Hasenstab is. 

Both sites say it could take a minimum of 8 weeks. 

Z - The end of A-Z

Whew! I'm glad it's over. I found it quite challenging and sometimes felt completely stuck. While I may enjoy researching my family tree, I understand it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I do hope I was able to demonstrate how enjoyable it can be to go beyond simply adding names and dates to your family tree. 

On the other hand, genealogy research is an ever-evolving process that never really ends. As we delve into new documents and sources, we uncover more family stories and ancestral connections. This means that there will always be a wealth of information waiting to be discovered and learned from for many years to come.

I thank all of you who made comments. 

That's it for me - I have no more to give.

Regards,

Debby

W for the Salem Witch Trials

Elizabeth Bassett married at the age of 27 to John Proctor, a prosperous yeoman and tavern keeper. John had previously been widowed twice. Elizabeth became John's third wife in 1674, and they had six children together. Sadly, one or two of their children died as infants or young children before 1692. Elizabeth managed the tavern owned by her husband and John's eldest son, Benjamin Proctor. The couple owned a 700-acre estate located south of Salem Village.

I won't get into the whole trial - it was a tragic mess of hysteria. The trials were started after people had been accused of witchcraft, primarily by teenage girls. 

According to historical records, the first mention of Elizabeth Proctor in connection with the Salem witch accusations occurred on or after March 6th, when 12-year-old Ann Putnam Jr. accused her of causing afflictions. Later, on April 11th, Elizabeth and her husband were among a group of people who were formally charged with acts of sorcery and ordered to be imprisoned in Boston jail.

Mary Warren, Proctors’ servant, who was the first one to bring attention to the family, was conspicuous by her absence during the examination and formal charges. She later admitted to her lies about the accusations. She was accused of witchcraft; a formal accusation was filed on April 18. Thereafter, she recanted that statement about lying and once again began formally accusing the Proctors of witchcraft and testified against them in June. 

 Elizabeth and John Proctor were married 18 years before he was hanged for witchcraft in August of 1699. Elizabeth gave birth to her final child while in prison several months after her husband's death. Unexpectedly released from prison instead of being executed, Elizabeth had six children who outlived their father, and she was penniless. He had written his will shortly before he died and did not include herself, probably assuming she would hang after the birth of their child.

 After her conviction, she was legally considered a non-entity. However, years later, her stepchildren were ordered to return her dowry, and she received a small settlement along with a declaration of innocence from the Colony. She later married Daniel Richards in Lynn. There are no records of them beyond this point, but it's likely they lived a quiet life after her ordeal.

According to Relative Finder of Family Search, Elizabeth was my 6th cousin/9 times removed. Her husband John Procter was my 1st cousin/10 times removed. 

U - Uncle Jay

Uncle Jay 

1922-2003

This is a picture of my husband's Uncle Jay, who was a brave soldier in World War II. My husband has always been fascinated by his uncle's heroic deeds and wanted to know more about them. He said that his dad and Uncle Jay used to talk for hours about their experiences during the war, but only with each other. As a boy, my husband was very curious and would hide behind the stairs to listen to their shocking stories.

The military records housed at the National Archives can be unreliable and incomplete. Unfortunately, many records were destroyed in a fire that took place in St. Louis, MO in 1973. This fire led to the loss of over 80 percent of Army personnel records from 1912 to 1960, as well as roughly half of the Air Force records. This loss had a significant impact on millions of people across the country, and the staff at NPRC still grapple with the aftermath of this disaster daily.

It was a difficult task to locate Uncle Jay's records and some of them might not ever be found. However, I was finally able to tie up some loose ends related to his military career. 

Uncle Jay served in the 82nd Airborne Infantry Division and fought in North Africa, Italy, and was part of the D-Day operation where his division parachuted into Normandy. Later on, he was deployed to the Battle of the Bulge and took part in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. To add to his already impressive record, Uncle Jay was also part of the liberation of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp on May 2, 1945. My husband recalls the photos of this liberation that Uncle Jay had taken during his time in Europe. These photos had a profound impact on him, even as a young boy who did not fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. And even as adults, can we ever truly understand the horrors of war and the atrocities that were committed?

The 82nd Airborne Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1991. 

Uncle Jay had four children who have all passed away. However, his nephew still holds a special place for him in his heart, and always will, due to his service to our country. It was a great pleasure to explore Uncle Jay's life, and the sense of accomplishment is truly satisfying.  Although I never knew Uncle Jay, he has managed to find a place in my heart that will stay with me forever. 

I am almost emotional that this part of Uncle Jay's story is now complete as it stands today - I have gathered all the information available to me and now it's up to future generations to discover more.

 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15;13

 

T- The Story of a THIEF

This is a story that has been passed down in my husband's family for many decades.

 It takes place in Ireland in the mid-1600s and involves a man who was caught stealing some sheep. He was then sent to England, where he was caught stealing sheep again and eventually deported to the Colonies. 

Once there, he stole a horse and was subsequently hanged. 

It's unclear what else this ancestor of my husbands may have done to warrant such a severe punishment, but it's been said that some individuals who were caught stealing were branded with the letter "T."

We'll never know for sure if this story is just a story or true. 

S - One Family’s SACRIFICE

 The Chitwood Family

Nancy (1815-1887) and John H Chitwood (1810-1864) of Scott County, Tennessee, had 14 children together. Nancy was my 2nd Grand Aunt. 

John enlisted in Company G of the 2nd Infantry Regiment in October 1861.

On November 6, 1863, during the Battle of Rogersville, John and three of his sons were captured in Rogersville, Tennessee. In their unit, five enlisted soldiers lost their lives, one was injured, 20 officers were captured, and 474 enlisted soldiers were taken as prisoners.

Rogersville was founded by Davy Crockett's grandparents in 1775. During the Civil War in November 1863, the town was the site of a battle between Federal forces who had encamped just outside the town and Confederate troops who invaded. Brigadier General William E. Jones led the Confederate forces, who were able to surprise the Union forces and pursue them across the Holston River into Greene County. The Confederates held the town for the remainder of the war.

During the Civil War, the majority of Union soldiers who were captured were taken to Andersonville, a prison located in Georgia. This prison, which was officially named Camp Sumter, was the largest prison in the South for Union soldiers who had been captured. Unfortunately, the conditions at Andersonville were very unhealthy, and as a result, many of the prisoners died. In total, around 13,000 Union prisoners lost their lives at Andersonville. After the war, the commander of the prison, Captain Henry Wirz (1823-65), was tried, convicted, and executed for committing war crimes.

John D. Chitwood, aged 54, passed away on April 24, 1864, while imprisoned in Andersonville. He was laid to rest at Andersonville Historical Site in Georgia.

Nancy and John had a son named Henry Chitwood (1836-1864), who served in Company G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry, during the Civil War. Henry enlisted on January 8th, 1862 at the age of 25. He fought in the Battle of Rogersville and was eventually taken as a prisoner of war. However, he was later released in a prisoner exchange and sent to Jarvis Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Unfortunately, he passed away in the hospital on July 28th, 1864 due to dysentery.

Daniel M. Chitwood enlisted in Scott County, Tennessee in 1861, and died at the age of 26 on March 19, 1864 at Bell Island Confederate Prison, Richmond  Virginia where he is buried. 

James Harrison Chitwood, born in 1841, joined the Tennessee 2nd Infantry on October 1, 1861. He participated in the Battle of Rogersville and was captured as a prisoner of war. Tragically, he passed away on February 14, 1864, while incarcerated at Bell Island Confederate Prison in Richmond, Virginia. At the time of his death, James was only 23 years old.

During the Civil War, Bell island was used as a prison for Union soldiers. From 1862 to 1865, around 30,000 POWs were held on the island. Unfortunately, as many as 1,000 prisoners died during their captivity, although accounts of the death rate vary. The South claimed that the death rate was low, while the North maintained that it was very high.

In 1864, Peter DeWitt, an Assistant Surgeon at Jarvis Hospital in Baltimore, treated a group of prisoners who had been released from the Belle Isle Prisoner of War camp. He noted that the "great majority" of patients had certain conditions.

"in a semi-state of nudity...laboring under such diseases as chronic diarrhea, phthisis pulmonalis, scurvy, frost bites, general debility caused by starvation, neglect, and exposure. Many of them had partially lost their reason, forgetting even the date of their capture and everything connected with their antecedent history. They resemble, in many respect, patients laboring under cretinism. They were filthy in the extreme, covered in vermin - nearly all were extremely emaciated; so much so that they had to be cared for even like infants"

Andersonville Prison was liberated by the Union Army in May 1865

In fairness, it is worth noting that a Union-run prison for Confederate POWs named "Camp Douglas" was often referred to as "The North's Andersonville." It was the largest Union POW camp. Initially, the Union Army used the camp as a training and organizational facility for volunteer regiments in 1861. However, it became a prisoner-of-war camp in early 1862. The camp was notorious for its abysmal living conditions, which caused a death rate of approximately 15%. Out of the 26,060 prisoners interned over the four years, approximately 4,000 died due to starvation, execution, or exposure.

 "War at the best, is terrible, and this war of ours, in its magnitude and in its duration, is one of the most terrible."

-Abraham Lincoln, 16 June 1864, speech at Philadelphia.

 

R - Dr. Robert Rose - Army Surgeon

I've recently started exploring the new family branch of the family tree - from my mothers side. During my search, I came across Dr. Robert Rose, a surgeon who was born in 1737 in South Hampton, Virginia.

He served in the Revolutionary War with the 1st Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Bland's Horse. The regiment was formed between June and September of 1776 in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was comprised of soldiers from eastern and northern Virginia who served with the Continental Army. The regiment's command structure consisted of a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, and a major, supported by a staff that included a chaplain, a quartermaster, a surgeon and mate, a paymaster, a riding master, a saddler, a trumpet major, an adjutant, and four supernumeraries, which were cadets undergoing training that were used as the colonel's messengers.

The most feared killer in North America at this time was smallpox, which played a critical role in defeating the American invasion of Canada. As a result, Washington implemented a requirement in the winter of 1776–1777 for all new army recruits to undergo inoculation for smallpox before reporting to the army. This requirement was one of the first instances worldwide of that now-common practice. Other diseases including diphtheria, dysentery, malaria, measles, and even scurvy swept through eighteenth-century army camps. Surgery during that time was also primitive, and because microbes and sterilization were not yet understood, those who survived the shock and bleeding risked lethal infections.

During battles, the regimental personnel provided immediate medical care to the wounded soldiers. Once the fighting stopped, the regimental quartermaster would search for the injured using the regiment's fifers and drummers as stretcher-bearers. The hospitals would then conduct long-term treatment with a team of trained medical personnel including physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries. Civilians were also employed as nurses, orderlies, cooks, and other support functions.

Being a battlefield surgeon was a gruesome job.

Here I always thought my dad's side was more interesting. There is so much documentation on this man who would be my 5th great-grandfather - there is still more to find out about him.

Somewhere along the line he bought land and moved to Edgecombe County, North Carolina. 

At this time, not much is known about the years following the war until his death in 1820. He no doubt was still a practicing physician. 

I did find his Last Will and Testament. (copied exactly) 

In the Name of God Amen—I Robert Rose of the County of Edgecomb & State of North Carolina Being of perfect mind & memory—But Calling unto mind the Mortality of my Body & knowing that is appointed for all men once to die, ___ make & ordain this my Last will & Testament----------------

first of all my Just debts to be paid

[left margin of will is cut off on original image]

Item, I give & bequeath unto my Son Reuben Rose Five Shillings

Item, I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Trevathan Wife of Henry Trevathan, Twelve pounds Ten Shillings

Item, I Give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Canady Twenty one pounds Ten Shillings & oneFeather bed &   furniture

Item, and the residue of my Estate to be equally Divided between my sons William Rose Aaron Rose Matthew Rose My Daughters Sarah Canady And Elizabeth Trevathan Equally to be divided Between the five-------------

and I do hereby appoint My Friend Jacob Ing and son William Rose the whole & sole Executors of this my last will & Testament & I do hereby deny all my former wills—ratifying & Confirming this and no other to be my Last will & Testament

In witness wherof I have hereunto set my hand& seal this 29th day May 1816

Robert Rose (his x-mark)

Test

Israel (?) house                                  

Moses Johnson (His x mark)

 

The back of the will:

November Court 1820 Edgecombe County

The within last Will and Testament of Robert Rose decd was exhibited in open Court for Probate and was Duly proven by the oaths of Israel House and Moses Johnston The two subscribing witnesses thereto. And William Rose one of the Executors therein named was at the same time qualified thereto. Ordered that the same be certified and the Will recorded.

Mich Han___

 

"North Carolina, Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19447-26906-10?cc=1867501&wc=MDR2-RWL:169764201,170981601 : accessed 14 March 2015), Edgecombe > Wills, 1758-1830, Vol. 08 > image 185 of 291; county courthouses, North Carolina.

 

Lastly, I found that he might be buried in Arlington Cemetery according to a document that needs further investigation. I have checked the actual cemetery website and Find-a-grave and other death records and have yet to prove he is buried there - 

Q - San Quentin

 

I can't lay claim to this winner - My stepdaughter asked me to do her family tree and I found her long-lost grandfather. 

He was a Canadian Nationalist who was originally from Ontario. From the 1921 Canadian Census, he was 16 years old. 

In Nov 1921 he came to the USA via the Port of Huron. 

In the 1930 US Census, Max was listed as living in San Francisco and working as a clerk typist in the wholesale industry. He was 25 years old at the time. Unfortunately, he got involved with a bad crowd and was arrested and charged with forgery. Prison records show that he used the aliases, Howard Harris Johnson and Ernest Zottola. 

It's worth noting that many known mobsters had the last name Zottola. 

It's unclear why Max chose to use such a notorious name; perhaps he wasn't very smart. 

Max married this unsuspecting young lady in Los Angeles in 1954, at the age of 36, under the name of Howard Johnson Harris  In June 1955, they had their only child, a daughter. However, the wife eventually found out about Max's lies and filed for divorce. She then moved to San Francisco to raise their daughter. 

It seems that Max didn't learn from his past mistakes and continued to deceive and cheat. My stepdaughter informed me that there was always a lot of secrecy surrounding her mother's family. When I asked her how she felt about it, she simply requested a framed photo of her grandfather. I would feel the same way too!  It is an interesting piece of family history that does not reflect on her or anybody else. 

I must admit, I was a little envious of the intriguing family history, especially the fact that Max had been in San Quentin. 

P - Just a few of the Famous PEOPLE in my family tree

Benedict Arnold - 3rd Cousin/7 times removed

Robin Williams - 7th cousin

Don Knotts 7th cousin/3 times removed

Andy Griffith - 8th cousin/once removed

Humphrey Bogart - 8th cousin/ once removed

Shirley Temple - 8th cousin/once removed

Tom Hanks - 8th cousin/once removed

Debbie Reynolds - 8th cousin/once removed

Johnny Dep - 9th cousin

Carrie Fisher - 8th cousin/twice removed

Marilyn Monroe - 9th cousin/once removed

Reese Witherspoon - 9th cousin/once removed

John Wayne - 10th cousin

Lucille Ball - 10th cousin

Walt Disney - 10th cousin/once removed

Judy Garland - 11th cousin/once removed

Betty Grable - 12th cousin/once removed

Chris Pratt - 12th cousin/2 times removed

Julie Roberts - 12th cousin/3 times removed

Elizabeth Taylor - 12th cousin

Relative Finder is an excellent tool for tracing your family's ancestry and finding out who might be your distant relatives. However, it's advisable to view the results with some caution and verify the information by reviewing your family tree. It's just for fun. 

O - Ohio

 

A significant portion of my mother's family settled in Ohio, particularly from the vicinity of Dayton. During the summer vacations, as a child we would travel back to Ohio to visit and I always enjoyed it there, as it offered a unique culture distinct from that of the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of Ohio's early settlers migrated from Pennsylvania and the northeast colonies.

I don't know much about Ohio, but I do know that my great-grandparents lost their home during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913. I have a keepsake that was passed down to me from that flood - a china doll head that they were able to salvage, along with some water-damaged photos. Luckily, my great-great-aunt Margaret had duplicates of many of the old family photos they had taken.

Dayton used to be a significant manufacturing city with magnificent buildings that were as impressive as those in Detroit or New York City, although on a smaller scale. Its downtown area was bustling, and it was commonly referred to as "Little Detroit" because it was one of the Midwest's manufacturing hubs. Additionally, Dayton was known as "the birthplace of aviation." At that time, Dayton and its surrounding areas had several advantages going for it. 

My mom grew up in the city, so when my dad (a country boy) and she got together, it presented some challenges. Dad always wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, while Mom preferred to be in the thick of it. Even when we lived in San Francisco, Mom was in her element, and Dad was always looking for ways to get us out of there. 

I visited Dayton several years ago to research my mom's family tree. Despite some concerns from my Ohio cousins, I consider myself street-smart. Although the abandoned manufacturing plants and empty parking lots were a depressing sight, I visited cemeteries and stayed at Wright Patterson AFB during my trip. At that time, and even back in 1971 - it was not a safe place to be. I doubt very much if I will ever go back. 

On my way back from California, I couldn't help but think about what my ancestors would say if they could see this once-thriving and innovative city that they worked so hard to build. During its heyday, Dayton was a shining example of progress, but now it has fallen into a state of rapid decline, with a struggling economy to match.

N - Native American Ancestry

The family story goes like this: My Grandma Nanny was adopted by a white family, who raised her. She was half Cherokee, which makes it more intriguing. Who wouldn't want to find out more about this?

Upon researching, I found that Grandma was sent to live with a distant cousin after her parents abandoned the family.

The family still insisted that we have Cherokee ancestry even after they realized that the DNA did not support that.  They believed that we all had high cheekbones and some indigenous ancestry.

I have a theory that in the past when someone got married, they were considered as a part of the family they married into. This means that the family of the spouse also becomes one's own family. So if there were any native American ancestors, the whole family would claim that ancestry. As I delved deeper into my family history, I found out My 3rd Great-Grandfather - Philip Low married a gal named Sarah Nancy Carroll Low. She was the adopted daughter of my 4th great-grandfather, John Drury Carroll. She was a full-blooded Cherokee. 

I then discovered that my Grandpa had some Cherokee ancestry,  

Oh when will this ever end? 

Recently I found this so-called connection with a 6th Great-Grandfather. 

Ludovic Grant, a Scottish emigrant, came to the Cherokee country about 1726, where he married a Cherokee woman of the "Long Hair Clan" and lived in the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina.

Ludovic Grant is listed by some sources as a clan chief of the Grant clan in Scotland in 1710. He joined the Jacobite rebellion in 1715, which sought to restore James II as King of England. He was captured at Preston and transported with many others who had been captured from Liverpool, England to South Carolina aboard the Susannah in 1716. In a statement recorded on page 301 of the Charleston, South Carolina probate court in the book of 1754-1758, in a sworn statement of January 12, 1756, he says: "It has been thirty years since I went to the Cherokee country, where I have resided ever since, I speak their language". His wife was a full blood of the Long Hair clan and lived in the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina. Grant's "morganatic" marriage to Elizabeth Tassel of the Long Hair Clan is said to have been the first intermarriage between a British officer and chief's daughter

He is regarded as the first white man to marry a Cherokee.

Does it even matter? Of course not. While during the 60's I would have loved to have laid claim to authentic Cherokee's ancestry. I am comfortable enough to understand and believe that there was most probably some Cherokee woven into the family. It was a LONG time ago.

I have since found out that at this time, there is no DNA testing that shows Cherokee or any Tribal affiliation. It comes up as Indigenous Americas region. DNA doesn't exactly follow our Family Trees.

An article I read explains it better than I can:

The most common reason that someone with Native American ancestry does not see this on their Ancestry DNA results is that they did not inherit any Native American DNA. This can happen even if the ancestor really was Native American.

What is the meaning of this? We don’t – can‘t – share DNA with every single one of our ancestors because our genome isn’t big enough.

In fact, according to Ancestry DNA, after about seven generations, we probably only share about 1% of our DNA with any specific great-great-great-great-great grandparent. In addition, there is about a 5% chance that we won’t share with some of those 5th great-grandparents.

A person inherits 50% of their mother’s DNA and 50% of their father’s. The exact 50% from each parent is selected at random through a process called recombination.

Most of the DNA that we inherit from our parents will be matched with regions on the Ancestry DNA test, like the Indigenous Americas region.

So there you have it.  You're never going to be able to prove it 100% unless you have a more recent Native American Heritage with a name on one of the Tribal Indian rolls. 

Oh, I'll probably keep looking - because it's fun as long as I document and share with my sons the probability along with the stories and let them go, cray cray, if they want to. 

https://whoareyoumadeof.com/blog/why-does-my-ancestry-dna-not-show-my-native-american-heritage/

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/10/cherokee-blood-why-do-so-many-americans-believe-they-have-cherokee-ancestry.html

M The Grand MIKEY Lowe

Grand Mikey Lowe - My 4th Great Grandfather 

Born 20 FEB 1771 • Tulpehocken Township Berks County Pennsylvania, USA

 Died NOV. 11, 1859 • Smokey Junction Scott County Tennessee, USA

In the 1790s, a Scotch-Irish settler known as Mikey arrived at Smokey Creek - now located in Scott County, Tennessee - when he was in his twenties. Along with his family and meager possessions, he settled in upper Smokey Creek on a land grant from North Carolina. This land grant was quite large and covered all the land on both sides of Smokey Creek to the top of the mountains. The ancestors of this group of pioneers scattered across the Cumberland Plateau. These were the people of my paternal Grandma, Nanny.

1771–1859

Mikey, who was my 4th great-grandfather, settled in the beautiful forests, coves, and narrow valleys where the bald eagle flew over the pristine wilderness. The people who didn't own slaves in North Carolina saw little hope in their state and were eager to find a better place. Grand Mikey embarked on an adventure to find a new home, and his entire family worked together to clear the bottom land and plant crops like corn and vegetables in the fertile creek bottoms. They left the vast tracts of virgin timber uncut for many years, creating a haven for the abundant wildlife in the area. The families were known for their strength and resilience, working side by side to build a new life in this untamed wilderness.

According to "available records" Grand Mikey is considered to be the first permanent settler in Smokey Creek. He was Scotch-Irish. The Scotch side of his stock showed up remarkably in the frugality of his ancestors, and so did the Irish, in their independent ways, which often led to disputes and fights among the "clans." Their ancestors became involved in numerous lawsuits which left them but small profit from these vast tracts of virgin timber. Trees back then grew six to seven feet in diameter. 

After the land was cleared, settlers built log cabins and other white settlers came in, including the Carroll's, Masons, the Hembrees, Lewellen's, Bunches, Massengalls, and other branches of the Lowes who were not related to Mikey. (best they knew back then) These surnames are intertwined in my family tree and produced many double and triple cousins (when 2+ brothers married 2+ sisters). In those days, everybody was considered kinfolk and everybody was considered a cousin.

These were simple people who used to sit together in front of a fire and tell stories that had been passed down from one generation to another. I used to hear these stories when I was a child, and my dad grew up on them. They came with a wealth of folklore, lonesome ballads, five-string banjos, fiddles, and hoedown tunes. They grew their own "chawing terbaccer" and bottled their old brand of mountain dew in wooden kags, drinking from little brown jugs. Even the Preacher carried a little brown jug in his saddlebag just in case of rattlesnakes.

 

Many stories included ghosts and werewolves, some of which were said to wear women's clothing. My dad even claimed to have seen one as a child. My ancestors were also into fortune-telling, using methods such as reading coffee grounds, using lucky charms, and relying on folk remedies to cure diseases. According to my fourth great-aunt, Aunt Becky Lowe, my ancestor Grand Mikey was an enthusiastic hunter and fisherman and was considered the greatest of them all. There are several tales of bear attacks, eagles swooping down to steal infants, never to be seen again, and bears so close you could feel their hot breath on your neck. The wildlife was abundant as they lived among bears, panthers, wildcats, and timber wolves.

According to a favorite story told by descendants, Grand Mikey's wife, Elizabeth Bordner, once went to a spring to fetch water. While she was approaching the spring, she saw a big bear also heading towards it. In a state of panic, she started running towards her cabin with her wooden pail, and the bear followed her. She tossed the pail down, hoping to distract the bear, and it stopped for a moment to examine the pail, but then took up the chase again. She then threw down most of her clothing piece by piece, and the animal slowed down each time but then resumed the chase. By the time she reached her cabin door in the clearing, she was completely naked, and she could feel the bear's hot breath on her back. She managed to reach safety, nearly completely exhausted, but just in time to bar the door against the intruder.

Louisa would be my 1st cousin, 4 times removed. 

I remember my Grandma, Nanny (Hembree) Young, telling us that she had some Native American ancestry on her side of the family. She mentioned that someone in her family had married a Cherokee woman and had a daughter. It was my 3rd great uncle, Michael Lowe Jr (Low), who married a Cherokee woman, and this is where the stories of our Cherokee heritage began.

Grand Mikey served in the War of 1812, as a member of the 5th Regiment East Tennessee Militia commanded by Colonel Edwin Booth and reporting to General William Carroll.

He died in 1851 and is buried here in the Lowe Cemetery in Smokey Creek. 

Grand Mikey is someone I would have liked to meet - Having been raised in California, as a family we always went back for summers to visit. I loved going back to this rural part of the country - in a way to connect with my roots and I am glad I did get that connection. I always preferred my dad's side of the family over my mom's - just more interesting. From what I hear, a good part of the area has been developed into Federal lands - for recreation.

L - Clan Lamont

A few years ago I had just finished watching the first season of Outlander on Netflix. It was so inspiring and made me feel proud of my heritage. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to travel to Scotland, so the best I can do is hope to find my own set of standing stones that will transport me there for free. However, going back in time 200 years would be much harder than my worst camping trip. Therefore, I will keep dreaming and sharing stories about my family from Scotland.

My paternal ancestors are from the Lamont Clan, pronounced "Lamb-it". According to the stories I heard from my grandparents, the clan was massacred, nearly wiping out the entire population. Many survivors fled to the lowlands, but my branch of the family escaped to Northern Ireland in 1646. Mary and her four sons changed their surnames to White, Black, Sitlington, and Young (which was Mary's maiden name). My family inherited the surname Young.

The Dunoon Massacre Memorial 

The Memorial that still stands today reads: 

In memory of their loyal forefathers who perished near this spot, the clan Lamont dedicate this monument in September 1906. During the civil wars of the seventeenth century, the Lamonts espoused the Royalist cause thereby incurring the hostility of neighboring clans who laid siege to the castles of Toward and Escog. Sir James Lamont of that ilk was forced to surrender at Toward on 3rd June 1646. When in violation of articles of capitulation and indemnity signed by the besiegers, over two hundred of the Lamonts were bound carried in boats to Dunoon and there murdered. 

I'm not sure if my family were the ones nearly wiped out in this massacre - because it's too far back in our history for me to find out. But ultimately, it doesn't matter as only God knows the truth. There were the family tales of such a Massacre at family reunions - and this was back in the '60s! It is known and documented that my family did leave Scotland and moved to Northern Ireland at some point during this period. Many of my father's sisters used to claim we were Irish. However, my dad and his grandfather always claimed we were of Scottish ancestry. I believed them. Their journey to the colonies began in Scotland, then they moved to Northern Ireland, and finally to England where they boarded a ship to the early colonies. 

DNA reveals I am mostly Scotch/Irish and English. 

Here's a good read on this:

  How The Dunoon Massacre Took a Scottish Family Feud Too Far 

K - Kids in the Tree

It doesn't matter was era we're in - the kids are still adorable. 

This was my Dad - born in 1932. 

Sisters from my Mom's maternal line 

These two are twins - we had many twins on both sides of the family. 

Those fancy christening gowns - 

My Uncle Bud - served in the Army Air Corp in WW2 

My grandma on the right and her sister Flossie on the left. 

Flossie died of Hodgkin's disease in her late 20's. 

My Mom - born 1934

This cutie is on my dad's side - He died in WW2. 

My Mom's side - Her name was Betty Jane. I was told she died as a child but low and behold, I found her - she lived into adulthood and had children. I was happy about that because I have many cute photos of her and just grew an attachment with her. 

My Great Great Aunt Margaret. The last time I saw her, was in 1973. She had Osteoporosis and a big hump in her back. She lived just shy of her 100th birthday.