When Mary’s father, Lewis Blessing, died in 1825, he left her 150 acres of land next to the 150 acres that he had bequeathed to her brother, John, “running the whole length of my survey out from the river bending on my son John’s line, the whole length thereof, and such distance from his line so as to include the 150 acres.”
Continue readingWhile writing the stories about my direct Blessing ancestors, Abraham and his children, I came across a tragic tale that befell Abraham’s siblings who joined their parents in Ohio in the early 1820s.
While each sibling had their share of misfortunes, the one I found the most reprehensible was how Elizabeth was robbed of her inheritance from her father Lewis Blessing. To get the full story, however, I need to start with Lewis’s death and Elizabeth’s brother and sister, John and Mary.
Continue readingSome women in my family tree lived extraordinary lives for their times. They traveled, worked, and had experiences that weren’t the norm for women of their day. Alice Deisher Schell is not one of those women. She had a nice middle class upbringing, and sustained that through her marriage.
She is the kind of person who normally wouldn’t be remembered when talking about your family history. Unlike some other women in my family tree, there are no “can you believe Alice did…” stories; no mysteries; and no secrets that were revealed when I was researching her life. Which is precisely why I wanted to write about her. She may not have done extraordinary things, but she is still someone I descend from. I wanted to learn what I could about her and bring her out of the shadows so she is not forgotten. Continue reading
This is a multi-post series about the Blessing Sisters. Anna Eliza Blessing Winney is my 3rd great grandmother. You can see all of the posts in the series here: Blessing Sister Stories
Although the farmland along the Mississippi River in the southwest corner of Wisconsin reminded her of home in Missouri, Elizabeth missed her brother and sisters terribly. Her father spent up to twelve hours each day in the mine, and when he returned home, he collapsed from exhaustion.
She distracted her mind by making the small cabin homey and ensuring Abraham was eating decent meals to keep his strength up for the grueling tasks. He had stressed his desire to bring her brother and sisters here, and she determined to have the house ready, no matter how cramped it might be.
The Women Who Gave Us a Legacy of Strength 