Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Two Degrees of Separation

I've not had a chance to participate in Randy Seaver's, Genea-Musings, in ages. Randy's challenge for this week was inspired by the news that President John Tyler has two living grandchildren. President Tyler was born 222 years ago.

This week's mission, if we chose to accept it, was as follows:

1. Using your ancestral lines, how far back in time can you go with two degrees of separation? That means "you knew an ancestor who knew an ancestor." When was that second ancestor born?
2. Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook or a stream post on Google Plus.

• I knew my maternal granddad, Oscar Lucillous "LC" Hosch (abt 1888 - 1978). After the death of his parents, granddad was reared by his maternal grandparents, Wyatt and Alice Rome. Grandpa Wyatt was born abt 1840 and died sometime after the 1910 census. Grandma Alice was born abt 1836 and died between the 1900 and 1910 census.
• On granddaddy Hosch's paternal side, I knew my Great Grand Aunt, Florence Hosch (abt 1876 - 1973), who knew her mother Matilda Hosch. Grandma Matilda was born abt 1840 and died sometime after the 1880 census.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 6 - Family Heirlooms

For which heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family?


This challenge runs from Sunday, February 5, 2012 through Saturday, February 11, 2012.

One of my most treasured heirlooms is this almost 70 year old trunk. This trunk saw two generations off to college, first my mother and then me. Of course before, I set out with it, I figured it needed a little update, so I spray painted it blue and tried to smooth out the interior with a patchwork cloth lining.

During those interim years between mom heading off to college (1945) and me heading off to college (1979), this old trunk provided extra storage for my grandparents.

Today, it serves as an end table in my living room.

After all these years, it's definitely showing it's age, the chipped paint, the broken handle, the metal beginning to pull away from the frame. But all these things also give it character. One of these days, when time allows, I'll probably try to restore some of the features, like the handle, and perhaps take it back to it's original color, black. Otherwise, I'll just let it be.