Uncles Perry and Ernest WILSON: My Grandfather’s Locomotive Engineering Brothers – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 6)

My maternal grandfather Roy U. WILSON was one of 8 children of Isaac Andrew and Barbara (HAAS) WILSON. There were four girls and four boys. Roy was the youngest.

Of his three older brothers, one died in Colorado, and the other two moved to northern Indiana and became locomotive engineers.

Great-uncle Perry Lucian WILSON (1878–1937) worked for the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad Company (EJE) out of Gary. He was possibly married twice and appears to have had no children, at least none that I have found so far.

Great-uncle Ernest Dalton WILSON (1883-1952) also worked as a locomotive engineer out of Gary, was married, and had a son and a daughter. I have found a photograph of him standing in front of an EJE engine.*

It makes me wonder if one brother followed the other up north, or if they went together.

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Notes

*This photo can be found in a public tree on Ancestry. I am not republishing it here.

Ancestor Adventuring and Adventures – 52 Ancestors (Ancestors 22, 24, 25, 46, 47, 62, 63, 72, 73, 96, 114, 480, 960)

Lately, I’ve been writing a few articles to go along with the weekly suggested themes of the 52 Ancestors Challenge. It’s what got me started with this blog in January 2014* during Amy Johnson Crow’s first year of the challenge.

I couldn’t think of what to write on this week’s theme of adventure. All that came to mind were danger and travels. It seemed like there should be more to it than that. So, being the good daughter of a former Latin and English teacher who taught me much about English (with a tad of Latin thown in for good measure and which I don’t remember), I looked up the word.

William COTTER and Catherine (SHANAHAN) COTTER: From Ireland to America 1849 – 52 Ancestors (Ancestors 46 and 47)

William COTTER and Catherine (SHANAHAN) COTTER were already married when they emigrated from Ireland to New York in 1849. They brought some of their children with them, and some were born in the USA.

Sarah (JOHNSON) KUHN: “Mum” – Harvesting Photos – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 31)

Sarah JOHNSON was my matrilineal great-great-grandmother. I have found or heard so much about her that I could probably write this story half asleep with my eyes closed. Yet, I wish I knew more.

Birth and Early Childhood

Sarah was born to Thomas and Rachel (JOHNSON) JOHNSON who were distantly related through several endogamous Quaker lines. Presuming the family resided on the land of Thomas’ parents, Sarah was born in Iredell County, North Carolina, on the north side of Hunting Creek.

Organizing Your Genealogy Contacts

I was chatting with a friend and fellow genealogist when I typed, “I really should make a spreadsheet of all my contacts with people for the different families.” Her response, “That’s a great idea!!” Then she encouraged me to write an article about that, so here it is, and the spreadsheet has begun. I doubt this is a novel topic, but this is my idea.