It all started with a Prince

 John Conner and Rebecca Qweck were married in the Hudson Valley area of New York ca1755. They were the parents of seven children: William , Thomas, Eli, Hannah, Joseph, Rebecca and Francesca. They have been identified by records of the Dutch Reformed Church.  Rebecca married Johannes Terwilliger and stayed in New York. Joseph died in 1813, age 24 while in New York leaving a widow Catherine (Lemon). His will states that 1/4 of his estate is left to his wife (sic) Cateran Conner and 1/4 to his brother William Conner and 1/4 to his nephew Charles Conner (son of Thomas Conner) and 1/4 to his nephew Joseph Lemon (son of Michael Lemon and his sister Hannah) Francesca married Roeloff Ettenge and stayed in New York. Eli married unknown and had died by 1813 and had a son Joseph Conner. Thomas, I haven't found enough on him to comment other than he had a son Charles Conner. Hannah married Michael Lemon and had a son Joseph Lemon. William, who is Dan's 4th great Grandfather was born in...

Over the past several years, I have researched census and related records in an effort to present an accurate account of my second great-grandmother Clarissa (Hoard) Van Riper / Berry. She led a fairly complicated life. Clarissa was the oldest daughter of James Hoard and Hannah Moon. She was born 10 Jan 1813 in New York. Clarissa (Hoard) Van Riper / Berry Her first husband John Van Riper was living in Middlesex, Yates County, New York in the 1830 census. There were two persons in the family. A Male aged 20-30 years and a Female aged 15-20 years. John was born 25 Dec 1809 in New York. He would have been aged 21 in 1830. He was married to Clarissa Hoard 11 May 1830 in New York, and she was born 10 Jan 1813 in Yates County, New York. She would have been aged 17 in 1830. In the 1840 census John and Clarissa still lived in Yates County, New York and had five children. They had a total of eight children: Sarah Jane, Garrett, James, Mary Ann, Betsey Maria, John Jr, Jeremiah and Nelson. The la...

I have in my possession a picture that speaks volumes to me. It is a two-generational photo. It shows a family that was hard-working and proud of what they had accomplished over the years. Michael Sheridan born 2 Oct 1850 in New York, came with his parents to Michigan and grew up on the Sheridan farm that was located a couple miles south of the town of Perrinton, Michigan.  He was the son of Irish immigrants Patrick and Margaret (Hughes) Sheridan. The farm had been started about 1854 and was a thriving enterprise. There were cows, hogs, chickens, land under oats, wheat, hay and fruit orchards.  After Michael married Elizabeth Holland 5 Nov 1877, they decided there should be a way to sell all of the excess from the farm. And so, the Sheridan Poultry Hall was born. The buildings were acquired in downtown Perrinton and were located on Robison Street. Over the years Michael was known to be fair, and he would also buy from locals to supplement their supply. They even traveled as fa...

Over the last 50+ years, I have spent countless hours searching for our immigrant ancestor's story. Utilizing family histories, county histories, searching birth, death, marriages and following every lead that has popped up I am finally able to say with conviction where the Sheridan's originated. Because of DNA testing. Through matches, I found a great group of researchers that were also looking for Sheridan's from Ireland that showed we were connected.  Way, way back and some with more DNA than others.  But the proof was there. Kim, Christopher, Kevin, Wendy, Gearóidíne and myself. There are for sure many others but it is this list that has spent these many years trying to figure the total connection. Thanks to Gearóidíne who is a direct descendant of an original Sheridan family - over 250 years of her father's fathers, fathers staying the course and continuing to live in the same town and on the same land. Luckily a kind soul decided to make a handwritten copy of the ...

Over my years of researching, I have always been on the lookout for an article, a record, anything that shares the name of Aaron Porter. I knew he had children John, James, Hosea, Nicholas, Exa (Axey), Minerva and Sarah. I have followed them from New York to Iowa and all the places in-between. Always looking at books, for different newspaper archives that may be released, or new collections. And based on the children's names, looking for a John or James as his father so I would know I had the 'correct' Aaron Porter. But only if they used traditional naming patterns. Aaron died in 1845, under strange circumstances. He was living in Iowa, yet he died in December of 1845 in Indiana? Why would he have traveled during that time of the year? What would have taken him back to Indiana? There is a typed paper written by a Barrick relative that states he died in Indiana, but no proof. I have found his will and his probate and now this Petition for Partition. This means that one of th...

My 3x great grandfather Aaron Porter shows up for the first time in my family tree back about 1803 in the Lake George area of New York. Where he came from is still to be determined. A typed 'story' about Aaron and his family was written by a Barrick descendant (his daughter Minerva married Alpheus Barrick) and states that he came from the 'Vermont Porters'.  Information from Helen Strine via Don Barrick of Oregon Aaron and his wife Lavina Chapman were married ca 1803 and since Lavina is stated to be from near Lake George, New York it is possible that they were married there.  They had children Exa, John J, Minerva, Sara, Nicholas, and Hosea. Four children were born in New York, and the rest were born in Indiana. The family then went on to Iowa. Based on loose naming traditions Aaron's first-born son was named John so maybe his father's name was also John. I find a John Porter in the 1790 US Census for Castleton, Rutland County, Vermont. The census shows one male...