Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

  DECEMBER 27, 2021 When looking forward, it’s always good to take a glance in the rearview mirror and check out where you came from. Without my ancestors paving the way, I wouldn’t have the life I live today. Week 52: Future The earliest known ancestor in my tree to have immigrated to the Americas was Edward Bosworth. His adventurous spirit led to my future here in the United States, and I have to assume his mindset at the time of his passage circled around setting up the best possible future for himself, his wife, and his kids. Unfortunately, his travels did not go quite as planned, and he paid the ultimate sacrifice. He sailed from England and arrived in Boston on a ship named Elizabeth & Dorcas in 1634. His death was recorded there in Boston Harbor. It is assumed his death was due to natural causes and that he died onboard the ship as it approached land because of a diary entry written by Samuel Sewall: Edward Bosworth, the Father, being ready to dye ask’d to be carried up...

  FEBRUARY 21, 2021 What rings more true to the word power than royalty? Week 8: Power While the only title I can lay claim to is “Princess No-No,” my nickname as a young girl, there may be some aristocratic blood very far up the tree, afterall. Kira D. Foltz, ca. 1986. Kira D. Foltz, ca. 1987. None of this is vetted by yours truly, and my guess is I’ll never get around to proving or disproving this line so far back, but according to the universal tree on FamilySearch.org, my maternal 3rd great grandmother, Ruth (McPherson) Millhouse, who lived a middle-class life in the States, was allegedly descended from multitudes of European dukes, counts, princesses, and kings -- to many too count! To name a few, there were King Robert Bruce the 1st of Scotland, Lord Fergus of Galloway, Henry I King of England, Princess Marjorie Bruce of Scotland, King Edward I, Louis of Provence King of Italy, William “the Conqueror,” and even Charlemagne. At a glance, it appears my closest relation may be t...