52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week #  27 theme - Extended Family

Great Great Grandfather, William Griffin

Through Bible and Census Records, we found that our 2 Gt Grandparents, William Griffin and Elizabeth M. Rodgers Griffin, had 14 children of record.

Joseph N. Griffin, Samuel Young Griffin, James M. Griffin, Levi Julius Griffin, Adam Bland Griffin, Andrew Watts Griffin, Sarah Ann "Sally" Griffin, Robert O. Griffin, Adonijah Harris "Nije" Griffin, William F Griffin, John Luther Griffin, Rachel J. Griffin, Alpheus R. Griffin, and Peter Charles Griffin.

My 1st and 2nd cousins thru Samuel Y. Griffin and Lizzie Terry were mostly known or "known of".  Many of us were corresponding on a private group and sharing memories. Besides the Griffins, we also followed Lizzie Terry's family, as much as we could learn.  But we started to become curious about those 14 Gt Gt Uncles and Aunts, thus discovering our extended family.  AND WE DID IT ! 

We began to try to track at least one cousin descended from each of  those listed, and correspond to share what we had learned.  Five of the 14 did not live to have descendants.  James and Levi died in Union Service.  Three died while the family lived in West Virginia... Joseph, age 21,  Robert O. age 11, and baby Alpheus, only one year old.   Rachel J. age 12, must have died while the family traveled west; we have found no info.  Peter Charles, the youngest, never married, but took care of the homestead and his widowed mother when they came to Oklahoma as '89ers. He also remembered his nieces and nephews in his will.

Starting with Samuel and Lizzie, we found and contacted cousins from their Griffin and Terry families, even naming our group after Lizzie. Precious photos from these families were shared. The photo above is Gt Gt Grandfather William Griffin, 1812 - 1889.

Going down the list, we are now in correspondence with several descendants of Adam B. Griffin, Andrew W. Griffin, Sally Griffin McNutt, Adonijah H. Griffin, and William F. Griffin. Some have become life long friends.

Finding anyone from John Luther Griffin was more difficult.  John L. became a teacher and moved his family to Colorado and then California and Washington. But he was buried in Colorado. Finally a google search (not Find a Grave or Ancestry) led us to an obituary attached to the cemetery site in Boulder, Colorado.  It was very informative and was signed by a grand daughter, Jan Griffin Leaf, who lived in Washington.  We were able to correspond with Jan for many years until her death. She shared many, many pictures including the one of William above. And at her death, she willed me her huge photo album, as she had no descendants. 

In the family of Lizzie Terry Griffin, we became acquainted with those who descend from all but one of her siblings. Still working on that one remaining.

Now I'm ready to do the same with one generation further back.  Have already gotten a good start.  How's that for extending our family?