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Genea-Musings asks us:
How many ancestors did you “meet”? Here is your challenge for tonight (or whenever you read this): Write down which of your ancestors that you have met in person (yes, even if you were too young to remember them). Tell us their names, where they lived, and their relationship to you in a blog post, or in comments to this post, or in comments on Facebook.
While my list is not very long, it is long in comparison to my mother’s, which includes only her parents and her paternal grandfather whom she met but never knew since he died before she turned one. It is these ‘short lists’ of direct ancestors that we’ve had the opportunity to know that have made collecting photos and stories more challenging. Here’s my list:
- My mother, Donna, whose blog you can enjoy here.
- My father.
- My maternal grandmother, Virginia Amy Willis Billings nee Lineberry (1914-2007), was born in Oklahoma City; lived in Oilton, OK as young child; was raised near Galax, Virginia by her father’s sister after both of her parents died; then returned to Oklahoma City as a teen where she remained (mostly) for the rest of her life.
- My maternal grandfather, James Thomas Willis (1904-1961), was born in Fayette, Alabama but lived most of his life in Oklahoma City, OK. There is a series of three photos of the two of us together that I mentioned in a previous post.
- My paternal grandmother, Ottie Geneo Brown DeYong nee Rury (1908-1994), was born in Bliss, OK and lived most of her life in Oklahoma City, OK
- My paternal grandfather, Claude Estes Brown (1909-1987), was born in Southard, OK and lived most of his life in Oklahoma City, OK
- My great grandmother Ella Mae Brown nee Reddick (1887-1962) — my paternal grandfather’s mother. Ella was born in Pratt, Kansas; lived many years in Enid, OK; and lived the last many years of her life in Oklahoma City. I have a series of three photos of Ella holding me when I was a couple of months old. I believe those are the only photos of us together as she died when I was not quite two years old.
My great grandmother Ella Brown holding me & my Mom watching
I may have met my great grandmother Maude Mae Rury nee Hilton (1889-1964), who was my paternal grandmother’s mother. Maude was born in Atchison, Kansas; lived in Ponca City, OK as a youth; lived in Guthrie and Enid, Oklahoma; then lived in the San Diego, CA area for the last 30 years of her life. She came to Oklahoma for a visit when my Mom was about 7 months pregnant with me so she knew of me. She didn’t die until I was 3 years old so I could have met her but I don’t recall nor do I have any stories or photos to offer proof that we met. There is a photo of me and my cousin, Terri, with Maude’s daughter, Jessie, that was taken near Christmas 1963 and according to my Aunt, the last time she saw Maude was in Oklahoma City in November, 1963. She indicated that if Aunt Jessie was here in December ’63, then probably Maude was still here as well. They didn’t always visit at the same time, but usually Aunt Jessie only visited when Maude did. Maude would stay for months at a time, so long that my Aunt feels sure that I must have met her. She did meet my younger cousin, Terri.
As an additional note I met my paternal birth grandparents, William Glen Hindman (1910-1990) & Mary Dell Hindman nee Little (1913-2001) who I believe lived most of their lives in Oklahoma City, OK.
Relative Storyboards 
Good coverage, Kay. As we talked, I only met my parents and my paternal grandfather who died when I was one. There are no photos of me with him and it is only because mother told me he had met me that I have any idea of meeting him.
My paternal grandmother died two years before I was born. My maternal grandmother died 18 years before I was born and my maternal grandfather died 25 years before I was born.
When kids talked about spending time with their grandparents, I could never even understand the concept. I’m so glad you had the opportunity to have times of closeness with three of your grandparents.
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