Family tree....for a historical perspective

                                                                                                                                                                          I think before I go on about my dad and mom....a little family tree review is required to put things into perspective. This will be the boring part but I want my son to know the lineage. I'm not going into detailed facts...mainly because I don't know them all (sad, uh?) and really...who needs to know. Our family, especially the Howe side can be traced way back to England long before Columbus discovered America (well, he and a few others). I do think there is a weird connection that Columbus discovered America and I was born in Columbus and had a nanny named America...kinda spooky, uh? I believe my Aunt Betty, my father's brother's wife did a tremendous amount of research on the Howe side of the family. The Fletcher side (my mom's maiden name) has also been traced way back....long before the Mayflower landed on the upper East Coast shores. Both sides can be traced back to passengers on the Mayflower (you know what that means..remember who those passengers were...they were people England did not want). I do know some facts and yes, like all families....our tree is filled with the good, the bad and the ugly (ugly does not mean physical looks). My sister is a member of the DAR and because of that....she too, had to do a tremendous amount of research to get her credentials. This is what it takes to be accepted into the DAR...Who can be a member of DAR?
Answer....... Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership. DAR defines a "patriot" as one who provided service or direct assistance in achieving America's independence.
Boy, can sis do that....she had one of the Holy Grails of Patriotism on her side.....a signer of the Declaration of Independence.....John Hart as part of our family tree.  She also had a huge dilemma....General William Howe is a direct descendant....he was the British general sent here by King George to put down the Revolution. How the hell do you explain THAT to a room full of DAR members??

John Hart

General William Howe

Signing of Declaration of Independence

Anyway....I'm not going to go that far back...I'm just going to go back a couple of generations. My sister and I came from the couplings of my mom and dad. My dad has a brother and a sister....both I knew very well and loved and adored, even though I didn't get to see them very often (family dispute, don't you know). I never did get to know (remember is probably a better word) my dad's dad. He died while I was still very young. I did know my dad's mom but did not get to be with her as much as I would have liked...again, family disputes. My dad's brother and wife had three children...two boys and a girl....I got to know and who are all still living today. My dad's sister and husband had three children...again, two boys and a girl. I got to know them too but again, not as well as I would have liked. They too are all alive and well.

Now for my mom's side. My mom had two sisters...both I knew and loved very much. Unlike my dad's side, I got to visit my mom's sisters and their children every time we went back to Columbus for a visit. I did get to know my mother's father and mother. My grandfather and grandmother were divorced while I was still very young so I knew my grandmother so much better. My grandfather remarried and I instantly had a new aunt...my grandfather's second wife. I did not know her all that well...I think my mother had a problem with the whole situation but at least she allowed my sister and I to spend time with her father and his new wife!! My mother's older sister and her husband had two children, a boy and a girl. I spent many a happy summer with them. My mom's younger sister and her husband had two boys and yes, I got to know and visit them often. I'm happy to say that all my 1st cousins  are alive and well and have wonderful families of their own. I have to thank Facebook because not only does it allow me to keep up with my 1st cousins...but it allows me to chat back and forth with the children of my 1st cousins....how cool is that!!

Now for my son....he was only six months old when my dad died (history sure does repeat itself) but he was fortunate enough to have his grandfather on his mother's side...a "man" in all sense of the word and who loved my son as much as my son loved him. My son got to know my mother but for only 5 years but again, my son is fortunate to have his grandmother on his mother's side and who is still alive and kicking as we speak. As for cousins, my sister has one girl child and my son gets to see her from time to time. He has three cousins on his mother's side and again...he gets to see them from time to time.                                                               

Well, that's the abbreviated discussion of the Howe/Fletcher family tree. It is a very colorful family tree with lots of twists and turns and a tree who's roots go very, very deep!!