52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Nearly Forgotten

It is Week 13 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks’ writing challenge. While some of these themes have been more difficult than others for me, this week’s writing prompt, Nearly Forgotten, juxtaposed well with a post I had already planned on writing today.

This post is about an unforgettable, yet almost forgotten woman, beloved by her family and friends and respected by her community, about whom I did not even know until a few years ago: Cynthia Ann (Payne) Watts, my 3rd great-grandmother.

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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Popular

It is Week 12 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge. This week’s writing prompt, Popular, was a tough one. Maybe it’s because the concept is so foreign to me personally that I had difficulty finding a “popular” ancestor in my tree. I did, however, identify several unpopular ones, including my 21st great-grandfather, Edmund of Woodstock. As you will read, Edmund was not particularly well-liked by his contemporaries.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Luck

It is Week 11 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge. This week’s writing prompt is Luck.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Strong Woman

Wow! It’s already Week 10 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks’ writing challenge. This week’s theme is Strong Woman. Now, this is a writing prompt that I can get behind! But instead of Strong Woman, I will be writing about Strong Women… plural. (It is Women’s History Month, after all. So let’s hear it for the girls!)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Disaster

Welcome to Week 9 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks’ writing challenge. This week’s theme is Disaster. When I saw this writing prompt, the first thing I thought was “large loss of life” and “extreme weather.”

Sadly, the disasters I will be sharing involve both.  However, before I address this week’s theme, please allow me a moment to explain how my family came to be in an area where these tragedies occurred.