Friday, March 26, 2010

My 3rd Cousin is my Husband's 5th Cousin

I wish I could have met Owen B. Rowe. He was born in 1922 in Dighton, Kansas and passed away in 1974 in Scott City, Kansas. He and I share one set of great, great grandparents: Johann Becker and Ana Maria Martini. Their daughter Anna Maria Becker married Johann Mayer, and they had a daughter Matilda, wife of August Rowe. Matilda and August had a son Clarence who married Elizabeth Yost. Clarence and Elizabeth were the parents of Owen B. Rowe. There's nothing astounding about discovering that. But I was researching MY HUSBAND'S family when I found Owen.

During the past month I've spent countless hours researching members of my husband's extended family who migrated from West Virginia in the early 1880s to Stafford and Barton County, Kansas. I'm from Great Bend, which is the county seat of Barton County, so I've been drawn to these relatives of my husband who were early settlers of MY home territory. It's funny how we get "territorial" about our homeland. My husband was born and raised in Pennsylvania and had grandparents who resided in neighboring West Virginia. So I've wondered "What were a few of HIS relatives doing in MY county in Kansas in the 1880s?"

I recently met my friend Jill through our Ancestry.com trees and she is from St. John, Stafford County, Kansas. When she shared her ancestry with me, I discovered a distant cousin of my husband (Dr. Stephen M. Haught) who was married to a cousin of hers (Blanch Dixon). Last night I was exploring that family line more thoroughly. In tracking Stephen Haught's sister Jemima, I discovered that she married a Yost and I knew my husband had a great grandmother who was a Yost. I found that Jemima Haught Yost had a daughter Elizabeth who married Clarence A. Rowe. Their son was Owen B. Rowe! Do you remember Owen from my opening paragraph?

My RootsMagic software is so valuable in showing relationships, so I was able to determine that Owen's 3rd great grandparents, John and Catherine Snuiche Youst are also my husband Larry's 5th great grandparents. And Larry's 5th great grandparents Jacob and Elizabeth Funk Showalter are also Owen's 3rd great grandparents.  Owen is Larry's 5th cousin and also my 3rd cousin.

It would have been interesting to have known an individual who shared a bloodline with both me and my husband Larry Jamison!

5 comments:

Barbara Poole said...

Pretty amazing story Becky. What an exciting way to find out. Is your husband excited as you?

Becky Thompson said...

Yes, Barbara, my husband is very interested in our genealogy and works with me on it. However, he prefers the stories and pictures instead of the name and date details. But I'm lucky that he listens to me when I talk about it.

my Heritage Happens said...

Such a super way to find this connection. I have yet to find a connection of any kind like this. Fun!

Dorene from Ohio said...

Good sleuthing!!

Nan Turner said...

Hi - I am related to the Rowes of Dighton, KS. I have several photos I would like to share with you. Pls contact me at nanturner@earthlink.net. My grandmother, Lilas Rowe was Clarence Rowe's sister.
Regards,
Nan