Growing up, I had two very different experiences when it came to family history. Thankfully, I was privileged to have a few members on both sides of my family who reveled in remembering loved ones and special times.
However, also prevalent were those family members who stayed silent on kin long gone and days gone by. Entire lines of my ancestry were erased, it seemed. These missing branches left huge gaps in our family tree.
As I got older, the voices of these unknown ancestors seem to whisper in my subconscious, begging me to discover who they were and remember their accomplishments and aspirations. By finding them, I found myself.
Here are just a few of our ancestors’ stories.
Princes, Paupers, Pilgrims & Pioneers 
John Peter was my sixth great grandfather as well… hello cousin!! I am descended from son Johann Heinrich. Great seeing some history here, thank you for the information.
ps. Grandmother Katie just passed at 108 1/2!! Long life to you all, Schlosser!!!
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John Thomas was my great great grandfather. His son Joseph Luther Solomon Thomas was my great grandfather. Joseph Luther Solomon Thomas Jr was my grandfather. Joseph Luther Solomon Thomas III was my father. I am seventh generation on this farm
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Welcome to my blog, cousin! From which of Solomon’s children do you descend? His son John Luther Thomas was my 2nd great-grandfather.
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I too am a descendant of Solomon Thomas. He was my great great great grandfather. I still own and live in the house he built near Boonsboro. I still farm the same land. I would enjoy connecting with lost relatives. Mark S Thomas
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You will cherish those notes for a very long time. It doesn’t ease the ache of losing a parent, or even a grandparent, but there’s a gratefulness that comes alongside the ache. Then the sharing. I’m so thankful to have my grandmother’s hand-written memoir, old letters and picture. Bless you as you sort and turn things into story.
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Aww thank you my friend
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Ask and ye shall receive… Ann Marie Bryant (an amazing writer whose blog, https://talesofafamily.blog, you must check out) has asked me the following questions:
• What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue?
• If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like?
• What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?
Here are my answers:
• If time and money weren’t an issue, I would travel more. I have traveled to northern and central Italy (https://kindredconnection.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/ciao-italia/), northern France (https://kindredconnection.wordpress.com/2018/05/04/tour-de-france/), and many other places all over the world (https://kindredconnection.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/half-past-life/). No matter how many places I have visited, I always want to see more. But as Jim Croce said, “But there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them…”
• I do not need a grand house, although I would love to have an immense library—two-storied with a spiral staircase—similar to those found at some English estates. And because I prefer living in the mountains far from other people, that would be where I would build my home… off the grid as much as possible (using solar and wind energy.)
• I think everyone should fall in love and have someone love them back at least once in their lives. As the Beatles said, “Love is all you need.”
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