Mother's Day: a look back on my mother's mothers

It's mother's day, and here are shots of mothers along my mother's line:


Mom with Tim, 1967. This shot says 'motherhood', and I think it's one of the best pictures my father ever took.













Mom's mother, Virginia Tibbit Joslin. Standing next to, well, Mom.











Virginia's mother, Elsie, pictured with my mother (Nancy) and William H. Tibbitt.








Elsie Felten Tibbitt's mother, Marian Hinchman Felten, holding Virginia Tibbitt.
















I don't have a picture Marian's mother, Malvina Prickett Hinchman, but I DO have a picture of Marian's grandmother, Mary Ann Hudson Prickett.



If somebody has pictures of the Hinchman clan, please let me know.

Susan O'Brien Grant

As you may know, Susan lost her battle with cancer on April 30th. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to her memorial service. She has been in my thoughts, as have Bobby and Bob, and my aunt and uncle. I am regretful that this life I have chosen so often keeps me far from family, and that I cannot always be there to stand with family during times of trial or tribulation. But family is never far from my heart, however many miles stand between us.

Bobby married Susan about a year before I moved to Florida, so I never really had a chance to spend a lot of time with her. My trips home have been infrequent, and brief. On at least one occasion, her illness kept her in bed while I was in town.

I remember the wedding, on a hot August day. I remember Bobby quietly saying "I do" in a gentle and reserved manner. And I remember Susan's "I DO!" ringing through the church all the way to the back row; she knew how to play to the back row. I remember her dancing at the reception, all flaming red hair and flashing smile as she whirled around the dance floor. I don't believe I have ever seen a more joyful bride. I can't swear that I have seen a person as joyful, period.

There was at least one Thanksgiving, and possibly a Christmas dinner or maybe two. There was my sister's wedding, and then my dad's wedding reception celebrating his marraige to Jocelyne. I remember an easy smile, and eyes ready for laughter.

I wish I had had the chance to see her onstage, and I wish that there more family dinners. But like all of us, I just wish there were more times with Susan. But she brought joy with her, and we must not let that joy fade away; I will remember the laughter in her eyes, and I will find that easy smile in my heart.

Bless you, Susan, and thank you for being a part of our family.

Pop-pop and Mom-mom

I was digging around for a picture of Susan Grant (which I failed to find) but found these and realized I haven't posted anything to this blog in awhile.

Al Jahn, Margaretta Fisher Jahn, and the Starrets

I scanned some more family photos this summer while I was visiting Aunt Dorothy. I asked if there were any shots of Margaretta Fisher, and she pulled out a photo and said "here she is with the Starrets." It wasn't until I was back in Florida that I realized that the man standing to the side was Al.


Here's a good shot of Albert Maxwilliam Jahn in his prime. This is taken at some point in the 1920's. It was cropped from a shot of him, Margaretta, and the Starrets, posing with a newborn.

This is the only photo I have
so far of Margaretta Fisher Jahn.
She's holding Bob Jr, which
would put this photo around 1923.

The original photograph. Aunt Helen (Steele) is sitting on the ground.

Joseph William Ludwig

I found some new details about Capt Joseph Ludwig. I've been trying to fully document the line for a DAR application, and was trying a few new avenues of research. I found a post to a mailing list that led me to information I should have had, but somehow missed.

WHAT WE KNEW:

He was a ship's captain, born in Waldoboro, Maine. The Ludwigs came over with General Waldo in 1753. The patriarch (Capt Joe's great-grandfather), Joseph, (1699-1753) died enroute. His wife and three children - two sons and a daughter - continued the journey and helped found Waldoboro.

Capt. Joseph's grandfather was Joseph Henry Ludwig, who fought in the Revolution under the command of his brother, Jacob. They both served as councilmen for the town, and Jacob served as a Justice of the Peace.

Capt. Joseph's father, John, died when Joseph was 6 years old.

Capt Ludwig appeared on the 1850 Census in Boston, the 1860 Census in New York City, and the 1870 Census in Jersey City. In 1850, he was a "mariner," but by 1860 he was a ship's captain.

Capt. Joseph married Catherine 'Cate' Post, and had a daugher, Transylvania. Transylvania married John Rouse of Jersey City, and they had a daughter, which they named Transylvania Gifford Rouse.

WHAT'S NEW:

I found a lot of my data on him in a genealogy of the Ludwig family. BUT I did NOT read all the way back to find his brief biography, all I got was his lineage, and family data. A few lines in the first half of the book. I thought I did well. But I missed the juicy bits.

The book is "Ludwig Genealogy : sketch of Joseph Ludwig, who was born in Germany in 1699, and his wife and family, who settled at "Broad Bay," copyright 1866.

Turning to page 113, we learn:

• Not only did he command ships, he owned several of them.
• He commanded a 'government steamship' for the Union during the War Between the States.
• In February 12 of 1866, he bought the Vicksburg and Shreveport Railroad at auction for $50,000.
• As of 1866, he is reportedly retired. He was 45 years old at that time. Not bad.
  

So he was really well off. And this fits with the quality of the center table that has been passed down; it is an extremely fine work of Victorian Aesthetic.

NEW DATA THAT'S TURNED UP:
So with new data, I began researching him to see what else I could find. And what I found was his death notice, published in the Brooklyn Eagle on July 9, 1870:

July 7, 1870 Capt. Joseph W. Ludwig, 49, of Jersey City

My next challenge is to find out where he is buried.