In 2015 I joined the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) by proving my paternal Grandpa's line of descent from the Revolutionary War Patriot Asa Corbin. This past year, I sent in a "supplemental" application to prove the line of descent for my paternal Grandma. Each line of descent I prove enables other descendants of the same Patriot to more easily join the DAR because the amount of documentation they need is cut down. Anyone joining the DAR has to provide proof of their connections, such as copies of birth, marriage and death records, for each generation until they can connect to someone in a line already proven. They have to go all the way back to the Patriot if no one else has done that.
My paternal Grandma is a direct descendant of the Patriot Stephen Bliss. I was able to connect to other DAR members who included his son Gideon Bliss in their line of descent, so I needed to provide documentation for my connections all the way to Gideon Bliss - that was 7 generations. My supplemental application was approved in May, so now any female descendant of Stephen Bliss who has in her blood line my Grandma or any of her siblings, her Mother or her siblings, and so on, can join DAR and less documentation would be required.
My direct ancestors are listed below in bold type, each of their children would potentially be a direct line for someone else. Starting with my Great Grandmother, Cora (Gaisford) Mann, this is the basic info I have for the line to Stephen Bliss:
Cora Gaisford, (1882-1971) Cora married Clarence L. Mann on July 5, 1899 in Fairbury, Nebraska. They raised their family in southeast Nebraska. Their children:
Leila (1900-1997) married Charlie Roy Wierman
Florence (1902-1983) married Pearle T Nickeson
Esther (1903-2000) married Roe K Hudson
Lester (1906-1982) married Lydia Krebs
Orra (1907-1992) married Charlene Vance
Clare (1909-2004) married Rulo Rathbun, other marriages with no children
Faye (1911-1977) married Frank Carpenter
Vivian (1913-2002) married Earl Bartlett
Blanche (1915-2006) married Lyman Bartlett
Bethel (1917-2014) married Elmer Krebs
Dean (1920-2003) married Doris Kollekowski
Doris (Living) married Kenneth Menke - my Grandparents
Keith (1922-1923)
Letty (Living) married Bob Phelps
Henrietta Smith (1848-1932) born in Norwich, Connecticut. She married Charles Gaisford in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 23, 1867. They had 11 children:
Charles (1868-1947) married Nancy Erhard
Mary Ann "Maime" (1870-1959) never married
Anna (1871-1943) married Henry Fielder
Emma (1874-1939) married Rufus Thompson, other marriage with no children
Carrie (1876-1899) married Sherman E White
Ella (1880-1881)
Cora (1882-1971) above
Nellie (1883-1919) never married
William (1885-1953) married Ethel Middleton
Gertrude (1888-1966) married Harlen Weaver
Gladys (1890-1986) married Frank Amos
Mary Abigail Bliss (1829-1866) was married to John Potter Smith in Norwich, Connecticut in 1847 and they moved to Worcester, Massachusetts soon after. They had 5 children, Mary's death happened with the last one:
Henrietta, above
Anna (1854-1929) married Myron Barrows
Minnie (1859-1859)
Carried (1861-1889) married William A Brown
Charles (1866-by 1870)
Austin Bliss (1786-1871) married Abigail Bumstead in Monson, Massachusetts. They moved to Connecticut about 1822. Their 12 children were:
Edward (1818-1871)
Sylvester (1820-1867)
Austin (1821-?)
Alvin (1824-?)
Horace Harrison (1826-?)
Sanford Joseph (1827-1873)
Mary Abigail, above
Harriet Eliza (1831-1875)
Julia Maria (1833-1835)
William Henry (1835-1902)
Julia M (1838-1871) married Henry Kirkland
Sarah Elizabeth (1842-?)
Gideon Bliss (1766-1847) married Mary Woodworth in Massachusetts where they raised these children:
Roswell (1791-1869)
Mary (1792-1866)
Betsey (1792-1795)
Chloe (1794-1797)
Austin, above
Gideon (1798-1828)
Sylvester (1800-?0
Betsey (1802-1881)
James B (1804-1843)
Willard (1806-?)
Catherine (1809-1880)
Lewis Tirrell (1811-?)
Henry Harrison (1813-1897) married Lucy Maria Sawyer
Stephen Bliss (1732-1806) was a Private from Longmeadow, Hampshire county, Massachusetts. He served under Captains Pinneas Stebbins and Joseph Browning; and Colonels Nathan Sparhawk, Seth Murray and John Bliss. He was married to Katherine Burt in 1756 and he died in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. They had at least six children:
Catherine (1757-1838)
Mercy (1759-1776)
Stephen (1761-1850)
Susannah (1764-?)
Gideon, above
Chloe (1769-1776)
If you're interested in joining the DAR, I suggest you contact your local chapter, or visit the website DAR.org. If you have questions about anyone listed here, just drop me a note and I may have more information.
Laura, that's a good point to consider about doing these DAR supplementals to also provide a paper trail which can make the way easier for other applicants. Thanks for the community-minded reminder.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment, Jacqi! I have one line myself where finding the documentation is very difficult, so if someone else is having trouble I know their frustration and hope this helps them.
DeleteI love the idea of DAR, and the fact that you can trace your ancestors back through the 18th century. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dara, for reading and letting me know you enjoyed this post!
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