Springsteen family survey, forty years on

We tend to be focused on our family surname when considering ancestry. We are, however, a product of many families and origins. Nevertheless, our paternal ancestry holds the appeal of surname as a symbol of identity through the generations.

Back in the mists of history, around 1979, my parents paid for a Springsteen family heritage book that cost more than I thought it would be worth. The book was marketed by pre-order as a family history. It was instead, as I expected, a generic guide to basic genealogy, not a history of the Springsteen family. What made this book potentially useful was an incomplete and sometimes duplicated list of names and addresses for Springsteens compiled from mailing lists.

I used the heritage book directory of Springsteens to attempt a survey of potential relatives around the country.  I created a survey form and set about contacting Springsteens, mailing 10-12 appeals per week. Those were days well before I owned my first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, let alone had access to email or an Internet.

I failed to anticipate the level of interest I would arouse from many of those who responded. They naturally hoped I would compile this information for the benefit of their families, which I did in fact hope to do. Unfortunately, life got in the way. Well, as they say, better late than never; at least I hope so.

Keeping it simple

To maximize the likelihood of response, I composed a fill-in-the-blanks form inquiring about direct ancestors and siblings bearing the Springsteen family name.

This was as much of my direct Springsteen ancestry as I knew at the time:

The heritage book listed 335 Springsteens, with concentrations in the following states:

• Michigan (78)
• New York (53)
• Iowa (26)
• New Jersey (25)
• California (21)
• Florida (13)
• Alabama (12)
• Wisconsin (10)

Some of the Floridians were snowbirds from colder climes.

My research, from secondary sources for early generations, has suggested that Springsteen families in the United States might all have descended from Geesje Jans, widow of Caspar Springsteen, who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1652 from Gröningen in the northern Netherlands. Her sons and daughter Joost, Johannes, Melchior and Barbara might have arrived at the same time. It is not surprising that many of the Springsteens listed in the heritage book lived in New York and New Jersey.

I was pleased to receive replies from around a third of the appeals I mailed. Many of the respondents didn’t know more than a few generations but several provided a great deal of ancestral information. Based in part on information from the survey, I have been able to connect some of these families on Ancestry.com.

Those who answered the call

I am grateful to those who responded, even if they didn’t know much of their Springsteen ancestry. A few of them responded more than once and one called from California. I visited one of the respondents while passing through Indiana. I received some responses from people who weren’t on the mailing list but answered on behalf of relatives who were. Not surprisingly, many of the respondents were Springsteen wives.

The following table reflects those who answered or for whom a response was sent. Although I didn’t send the survey to my close family, I include myself here with the distant ancestor I reported.

Respondent or family member	Location	Distant ancestor
Julian R. Springsteen Sr.	Alabama	John Springsteen and Ida Koenighof
Eugene Springsteen	Arkansas	John Springsteen and Lunetta Potter
Kenneth A. Springsteen	California	Cornelius Springsteen and Rebecca Onderdonk
Donald N. Springsteen	California	John Springsteen and Alchae Hogencamp
Forest A. Springsteen	California	John Springsteen and Alchae Hogencamp
Milford R. Springsteen	California	John Springsteen and Alchae Hogencamp
Rodger Springsteen	California	John Springsteen and Alchae Hogencamp
Ray O. Springsteen	California	John Springsteen and Ida Koenighof
Wayne P. Springsteen	California	Ryer B. Springsteen and Maria Bovee
Stanley A. Springsteen	Connecticut	Stephen and Catharine Springsteen
George S. Springsteen	Delaware	William H. Springsteen and Emma Griggs
Charles S. Springsteen	Florida	Harmon Springsteen and Willempje Onderdonk
Georgetta Glowth	Florida	Harmon Springsteen and Willempje Onderdonk
David Springsteen	Florida	John Springsteen and Catherine Van Pelt
Howard Springsteen	Florida	John Springsteen and Catherine Van Pelt
Evelyn MacConnell	Florida	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Arthur L. Springsteen	Florida	Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine
Robert B. Springsteen	Georgia	Robert and Hannah Springsteen
Howard D. Springsteen	Illinois	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
John H. Springsteen	Illinois	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Jerry L. Springsteen	Illinois	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Kenneth Springsteen	Illinois	John Springsteen and Lunetta Potter
James A. Springsteen	Indiana	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Louis E. Springsteen	Indiana	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Timothy W. Springsteen	Indiana	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Warren L. Springsteen	Indiana	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Robert B. Springsteen III	Indiana	Peter Springsteen and Sarah Freel
Elmer C. Springsteen	Iowa	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Larry L. Springsteen	Iowa	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Mark Springsteen	Iowa	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Richard R. Springsteen	Iowa	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Ronald J. Springsteen	Iowa	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Frank H. Springsteen	Iowa	Ryer B. Springsteen and Maria Bovee
Boyd H. Springsteen	Kansas	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Robert H. Springsteen	Maryland	William H. Springsteen and Emma Griggs
Claude Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Dale F. Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Douglas B. Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Earl Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Gary W. Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Laurence R. Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Minnie Butterfield	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Russell C. Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Wayne P. Springsteen	Michigan	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Elmer F. Springsteen	Michigan	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Lloyd R. Springsteen	Michigan	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Ronald L. Springsteen	Michigan	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Wayne R. Springsteen	Michigan	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Charles F. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Evan J. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
James J. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Jay C. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Laurance Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Marshall Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Maurice C. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Owen Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Philip J. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Philip M. Springsteen	Michigan	John Springsteen and Emily Knapp
Ronald J. Springsteen	Michigan	Staats and Anna Springsteen
Stan A. Springsteen	Minnesota	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Malcolm O. Springsteen	Minnesota	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Arthur W. Springsteen	New Hampshire	Stephen and Catharine Springsteen
Harley A. Springsteen III	New Jersey	George Springsteen
Donald Springsteen	New Jersey	John Springsteen and Catherine Van Pelt
John R. Springsteen	New Jersey	Stephen and Catharine Springsteen
Ronald J. Springsteen	New Jersey	William H. Springsteen and Emma Griggs
Raymond S. Springsteen	New York	Henry W. Springsteen and Hannah Dater
David H. Springsteen	New York	Michael Springsteen and Evatine Springsteen
Jack E. Springsteen	New York	Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine
John E. Springsteen	New York	Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine
Lynn W. Springsteen	New York	Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine
Peter R. Springsteen	New York	Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine
Roland D. Springsteen, Sr.	New York	Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine
John F. Springsteen	New York	William H. Springsteen and Ellen Oakley
Emily (Harold) Springsteen	Ohio	John Springsteen and Ida Koenighof
Mark E. Springsteen	Oregon	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Horry E. Springsteen	Oregon	Ryer B. Springsteen and Maria Bovee
John C. Springsteen	Pennsylvania	Henry W. Springsteen and Hannah Dater
Lester Springsteen	Pennsylvania	John Springsteen and Catherine Van Pelt
Rena (Ernest) Springsteen	South Dakota	Peter Springsteen and Sarah Freel
Fredrick Springsteen	Washington	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort
Paul D. Springsteen	West Virginia	Apolodore Springsted and Sarah Masters
Charles L. Springsteen	Wisconsin	Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton
Alvin L. Springsteen	Wisconsin	John Springsteen and Lunetta Potter
Jane A. Van Patten	Wyoming	Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort

Our family name has experienced variation through the passage of time, relocations and varying levels of literacy. Note that the directory listing in the heritage book includes only people with the name Springsteen without variation. There are certainly people with similar surnames that come from a different origin, but I know of people with name variants that originated as Springsteen. Regardless, even if we don’t all share an identical surname variation or perhaps the same paternal DNA, the people in this survey seem to have common history.

Distant ancestors

These ancestors represent family lines that I have identified for the survey respondents.

• Caspar Springsteen and Elizabeth Comfort. Caspar was baptized 7 July 1745 in Albany, Albany County, New York. Like his younger brother Staats, Caspar served in Butlers Rangers, a provincial corps loyal to the king in the American Revolution. He settled after the war in the Niagara peninsula of British Quebec. This became an area of early settlement in Upper Canada when Quebec was divided in 1791. Caspar and Elizabeth had at least five sons and four daughters.
  • Their son Allan moved to western Illinois. Allan’s son James fostered an extended family in Iowa, particularly through his sons Andrew Jackson and Martin Amberzine Springsteen.
  • Their son Joseph’s family moved west into eastern Michigan, establishing a large line of descendants there.
  • Some of Caspar and Elizabeth’s descendants remained in what later became the province of Ontario or moved on from there to prairie and western provinces.
• Staats and Anna Springsteen. Staats was baptized 5 January 1755 in Albany, New York. He died around May of 1826 in Wheatland, Monroe County, New York. Staats and Anna had three sons and four daughters identified in his will. Most of their children were born in the Niagara peninsula of Upper Canada. Staats and Anna were my great-great-great-great grandparents. I have written quite a bit about Staats and some of his descendants.
• John Springsteen and Emily Knapp. John was born 15 April 1755 in Haverstraw, New York, which was at that time in Orange County. He died 25 Dec 1831 in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York. John and Emily had three sons and two daughters. Their oldest son Henry moved to southwestern Michigan Territory, establishing a large family there in Cass and Berrien Counties.
• John Springsteen and Catherine Van Pelt. John was born 3 June 1759 in Middlesex County, New Jersey. He died 10 October 1844 in Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey. John and Catherine had three sons that I am aware of and were the great-great-great-great grandparents of the guy we’re all asked about.
• Harmon Springsteen and Willempje Onderdonk. Harmon was born about 1780. He died 30 December 1825 in Paterson, New Jersey. I have discovered four daughters and four sons from their marriage. Harmon served in the Rockland County company of Jacob Onderdonk in Gurney’s 83^rdRegiment during the War of 1812. 
• Uriah Springsteen and Lodema Hine. Uriah was born about 1783, possibly in Connecticut. He died 20 November 1865 in Windsor, Broome County, New York. Uriah and Lodema had four sons.
• Ryer B. Springsteen and Maria Bovee. Ryer was born 30 April 1790 in Rensselaer County, New York and died there 22 June 1858 at Schodack Landing. Ryer and Maria had three sons and two daughters of which I am aware. One descendant, survey respondent Wayne Springsteen, matches my Y-DNA at Family Tree DNA. Wayne and I are sixth cousins once removed.
• Cornelius Springsteen and Rebecca Onderdonk. Cornelius was born in 1792 and died 21 November 1869. He lived most if not all of his life in Rockland County, New York in or near Haverstraw. I am aware of five sons and a daughter born to them.
• Stephen and Catharine Springsteen. This is more speculative. Catharine Springsteen, born about 1798 in New Jersey, was listed in Essex County in 1850 with daughters Catharine and sons Arthur and William. Stephen Springsted or Springstel was listed in Essex County, New Jersey in the 1830 and 1840 censuses with a wife and children of corresponding ages.
• John Springsteen and Alchae Hogencamp. John was probably born in New York around 1800. They lived in Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York in 1830. I have identified five sons, all of whom might have been born there. Sons Jacob and Abraham moved west to Illinois and Missouri, with Jacob moving yet again to California.
• Isaac Springsteen and Amaretta Haxton. Isaac was born 4 February 1804 in Chenango County, New York. H died 14 July 1903 in Baldwin, St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Isaac and Amaretta had five sons and eight daughters.
• Henry W. Springsteen and Hannah Dater. Henry was born 3 June 1804 in Rockland County, New York. He died 28 March 1879 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. Henry and Hannah had four sons and two daughters.
• Apolodore Springsted and Sarah Masters. He was born about 1812, as they were recorded at age 38 in Goshen, Orange County, New York in the 1850 census. Neighbor Abraham Springsted might have been Apolodore’s father.  Sarah was listed with their children as a widow in the 1855 New York state census. In 1865 she was listed as Sarah Master Springsteen.
• Peter Springsteen and Sarah Freel. Peter was born 30 April 1815 at Stoney Creek, Wentworth County, Upper Canada. He died 11 April 1900 in Kent County, Ontario. Peter and Sarah had seven sons and one daughter.
• George Springsteen and two wives. George was born about 1816 in New York. He had two sons with his first wife, whose name I don’t know. He had one son and four daughters with his second wife Mary Ann.
• William H. Springsteen and Ellen Oakley. William was born in Baltimore, Maryland in January 1823 and died 3 December 1910 in Bay Shore, Suffolk County, New York. William lived on Long Island by 1851 when his oldest daughter was born. Ellen lived in Brooklyn with her family in 1850. William and Ellen had two sons and five daughters of which I am aware.
• Michael and Evatine Springsteen. Michael was born about 1828 in New York. He died 5 November 1895 in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York. Michael and Evatine were of African descent. Their connection to the Dutch Springsteens of the Hudson valley is not known to me.
• Robert and Hannah Springsteen. Robert was reportedly born in September 1832 in New York. He and Hannah lived in Ramapo, Rockland County, New York. I am aware of three sons and two daughters born to them.
• William H. Springsteen and Emma Griggs. William was born in September 1844 and died 1 October 1919. He lived most if not all of his life in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. They had three sons and three daughters of which I am aware.
• John Springsteen and wives Lunetta Potter and Ida Koenighof. His parentage was a mystery to the researcher who responded with considerable information about their family. He might have been orphaned at a young age. According to John’s obituary, he was born 13 October 1861 in New Jersey. He moved to Galien, Berrien County, Michigan as a young man, then to Foley, Alabama in his fifties. John died 10 April 1945 at the home of his daughter Mary in Berwyn, Illinois.

Information about survey respondent ancestors in more recent generations is available in my tree on Ancestry. It is a research tree that is generally based on documentary evidence, but relationships are sometimes postulated to see whether they will fly or not.

How were these distant ancestors related?

I know the connection between a few of these family lines. More can be learned from further exploration of records and from clues in Early settlers of Bushwick, Long, Island, New York and their descendants (four volumes), compiled by Andrew J. Provost, particularly Volume 2. References to Provost’s work can be found on Google Books. These volumes can be browsed on Ancestry, with Volume 2 here. Note that Provost’s work is neither complete nor entirely correct, but it provides much useful information and clues for further research.

Bear in mind that I have not thoroughly researched the following information.

Ancestry of Caspar and Staats Springsteen

As I have indicated, Caspar and Staats Springsteen were brothers. Caspar and Staats were sons of Simon Springsteen and Maria Seger. Both of their names, as with many in early generations, were spelled variously in different records.

• Simon Springsteen, born in 1709 in Albany, was the son of Caspar Springsteen and Jannetje Schermerhorn. Caspar, born about 1670 in Bushwick, was the son of immigrants Melchior Springsteen and Geertruy Bartholds. Melchior, born in 1643, was the son of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen.
• Maria Seger, born in 1727, was the daughter of Gerrit Seger and Maritje De Groot. Maritje, born about 1678, was the daughter of Staats de Groot and Barbara Springsteen. Barbara, born about 1650, was the daughter of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen.

Ancestry of John Springsteen, born 1755

This John Springsteen was a double second cousin of Caspar and Staats. John was the son of David and Rachel Springsteen, who might have been Rachel Waldron.

• David Springsteen, born about 1724 in Tarrytown, Westchester County, New York was the son of Samuel Springsteen and Janitje De Groot.
• Samuel Springsteen, born about 1694 in Flatbush, Kings County, New York was the son of Melchior Springsteen and Geertruy Bartholds. Melchior, as we have seen, was the son of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen.
• Janitje De Groot, born about 1694 in New York, was the daughter of Staats de Groot and Barbara Springsteen. Barbara was the daughter of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen.

Ancestry of John Springsteen, born 1759

This John Springsteen was born in Middlesex County, New Jersey, not far from New York. He was married to Catherine Van Pelt, with whom he had at least two sons. I don’t know who his parents were.

A John Springsteen of Middlesex County who was taken aboard a British guard ship in New York Harbor served in New Jersey militias and in Thomas Walling’s company in opposition to the crown. An 1832 affidavit on his behalf was signed by Captain William Van Pelt and Joseph Walling. This document is part of a series of pension petitions by his widow Elizabeth Springsteen, formerly Bryant and Lilley, who married John in the early 1800s. If this is the same John Springsteen, Catherine Van Pelt was likely deceased.

Ancestry of Harmon Springsteen, born about 1780

I know nothing of Harmon Springsteen’s ancestry.

Ancestry of Uriah Springsteen, born about 1783

Uriah Springsteen appears to have been the son of Jacob Springsteen and Lucia or Elizabeth Daly.

• Jacob Springsteen, born about 1746, was the son of Reyer Springsteen and Marytje Turnaer. This was probably the Jacob Springsteen who was a sergeant in Van Rensselaer’s regiment of colonials in the American Revolution.
• Reyer Springsteen, baptized in Schenactady in 1707, was the son of Caspar Springsteen and Jannetje Schermerhorn. He was a brother of Simon Springsteen.
• Caspar Springsteen was the son of Melchior Springsteen and Geertruy Bartholds. 
• Melchior was the son of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen.

Ancestry of Ryer B. Springsteen, born 1790

Ryer B. Springsteen, born 30 April 1790, was the son of Benjamin Springsteen and Annatje Schermerhorn.

• Benjamin Springsteen was born about 1758. He had at least three sons and five daughters with two wives, Annatje and Jannetje Schermerhorn, whose relationship I do not know. Benjamin served in the 4^thRegiment, Albany County in the Revolutionary War. 

He was the son of Reyer Springsteen and his second wife Helena Frisser.

• Reyer Springsteen was the son of Caspar Springsteen and Jannetje Schermerhorn.
• Caspar Springsteen was the son of Melchior Springsteen and Geertruy Bartholds.
• Melchior was the son of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen.

Ancestry of Cornelius Springsteen, born 1792

Cornelius Springsteen was apparently the son of John Springsteen and Sarah Babcock. I know nothing of John’s ancestry.

Ancestry of Stephen Springsteen, born 1798

Stephen might have been the son of Abraham Springsteen and Abigail Furman, as postulated by other researchers, but I have no further information about him or his ancestry.

Ancestry of John Springsteen, born about 1800

I have found no clues to the ancestry of this John Springsteen.

Ancestry of Isaac Springsteen, born 1804

Starting to feel like a broken record, I have to say that I don’t know anything about Isaac’s ancestry.

Ancestry of Henry William Springsteen, born 1804

Again, I know nothing further about this line of Springsteens. There have been an abundance of William Henry and Henry William Springsteens in proximity to New York, making them a challenge to sort out.

Ancestry of Apolodore Springsted, born 1812

Aside from the possibility that his 1850 neighbor Abraham Springsted might have been his father, I do not know anything further of this ancestral line.

Ancestry of Peter Springsteen, born 1815

One researcher believes that Peter’s father was Simon John Springsteen whose father was John Simon Springsteen whose parents were Simon Springsteen and Maria Seger, noted previously. I have seen no documentary evidence to support this supposition but given Peter’s location near the Niagara peninsula of Upper Canada, it is plausible.

Ancestry of George Springsteen, born about 1816

Yet again, I know nothing of George’s ancestry.

Ancestry of William H. Springsteen, born 1823

William was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but lived on Long Island, New York for much of his life. I suspect that his father, whoever he was, was born in New York.

Ancestry of Michael Springsteen, born about 1828

I don’t know who Michael Springsteen’s parents were, but a Casper Springsteen living in Schodack, Rensselaer County, New York reported three slaves in his household in the 1800 census. Might they have been Michael’s ancestors?

Ancestry of Robert Springsteen, born about 1832

Robert was the son of William Springsteen and Margaret Johnson. William, born about 1802 in Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, was the son of James Springsteen or Springsted, Jr. and Elizabeth Trip. James might, of course, have been the son of James Springsteen Sr., but at that time and place James Sr. might have just been an older man of the same name in the same community.

Ancestry of William Henry Springsteen, born 1844

This William H. Springsteen is thought by some researchers to have been the son of Jacob Springsteen and Henrietta Woolford. Another researcher thinks that his parents might have been Harris and Emma Springsteen. I have not seen documentary evidence to identify William’s parents.

Ancestry of John Springsteen, born 1861

The ancestry of this John Springsteen is still a mystery to me.

The ancestry and progeny of Caspar and Geesje Jans Springsteen

First of all, I don’t know who Geesje’s parents were, but her patronymic name Jans indicates her father’s given name. She might have been born in Gröningen and died in 1653.

Geesje’s husband Caspar Springsteen was born in 1614 in the city and/or province of Gröningen in the northern Netherlands. His parents appear to have been Joost Casparse Springsteen and Greetje Meeuwis Palsrock. Joost was born about 1582 and might have died in 1652.

Many descendants of Caspar and Geesje bear different surnames, whether through changes in spelling or through daughters taking the surnames of their husbands. As previously noted, I have tested Y-DNA at Family Tree DNA. My matches there at 67 markers or more are

• A Mr. DePew, who apparently had a Springsteen paternal ancestor somewhere up the line and is probably a descendant of Caspar and Geesje. There were DePews and Springsteens living in fairly close proximity to each other in Rockland County in the early 1800s. When I spoke with Mr. DePew on the telephone a couple of years ago he didn’t know much of his paternal ancestry.
• Wayne Springsteen, who is a descendant of Ryer Springsteen and Maria Bovee.
• Frederick Springston, who reports his most distant known paternal ancestor as a Jacob Springston who died in 1778.

It might be that not all of the Springsteens listed in the heritage book directory are descendants of Caspar and Geesje Springsteen. However, I suspect that most if not all of us are among their descendants, genetically or otherwise. I have followed several other lines of Springsteens and similar names, especially descendants of ancestral siblings, but there are certainly many more family lines that I have not discovered or investigated.

While this respondent, Jane Ann Van Patten, was in fact my fifth cousin once removed, the story of coming across the ice from Canada was from a descendant of her great-great-great grandfather Caspar Springsteen, not my ancestor Staats. It was presumably a crossing of the St. Clair River south of Lake Huron.

This article is an attempt to piece together some of the information I have learned based on responses to my long-ago survey. I hope it provides some information of interest to those who answered my call for information or to their offspring who have survived them. I would welcome further information about our family ancestry.