NFFG Ongoing Family Research
Projects with Members
This
page shows the ongoing research projects of some recent NFFG Members. If you
see an area of interest in any of the member projects below, please contact
NFFG by email, and describe the nature of your interest in this member and/or
the research area. We will send your contact request directly to that member.
In this way, member research may be developed, and your own family research may
be helped.
The
family research for these members may be found in skeleton form at the NFFG
Online Family Tree. Details and source notes are not shown online, to help
prevent piracy. NFFG members have investments in time and money in the files
found here, and we all deserve the respect that says, ‘don’t just snatch &
grab my work, join me or help me fairly.’
If
you have reached this page, you are probably a serious family researcher. You
will not be asked to pay anything for a simple contact message. However, we
encourage visitors to consider joining NFFG as Members. If you have already
created a family page at Ancestry.com or on your own web site, you will realize
that your work is not accessible to everyone. Ancestry.com family research
pages are only accessible to paid members. The NFFG Online Family Tree is
indexed by Google, and MANY people have ‘hit’ our family pages from random
Google searches. In the past five years, there have been about 40,000 hits. If
you join NFFG, and possibly post your Ongoing Project at this page, you will
have a much wider exposure, and possible lost cousins, or fellow researchers,
who are looking for some of the same records, will be able to locate you.
This
process of contact has often worked to create new family information, sometimes
over a number of months or even years.
Suggestion: If you share a family link to any of the
research areas below, or if you would like your focus and interest shown in
this list, please join NFFG and contribute your records.
If
you are currently posting on your pages at Ancestry.com, remember that pages
can be viewed by few people, members of Ancestry.com only, and then only to
those who stumble on your page from a large list of family trees. In contrast,
NFFG Online Family Tree pages are accessible directly from a Google search. Membership
in NFFG may awaken many new contacts.
Dennis
Karl Doane,
of Worcester, Massachusetts, who is a descendant of Binna Lumbard Doane
(1800-1866). Dennis is developing the Doane family of Barnstable and Worcester,
Massachusetts;
Suzanna
Rawlins,
of Atlanta, Georgia, who is a descendant of Burlin White Phillips (1867-1938),
and is researching the extensive Phillips family genealogy of Virginia and West
Virginia;
Oma
L. Rose, of
Reno Nevada, who is researching with us the family descent of Daniel Lobdell
(1811-1878), of a founding Lobdell family of Westchester County, New York, and
Wolfe Island, Frontenac County, Ontario. Oma may be reached at oma.rose@att.net;
Graham
Hart, of
Peterborough, Ontario, formerly of Halifax, Nova Scotia, who is a descendant of
Josiah Hart (1742-1828), who removed from Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut
to Manchester, Guysborough, Nova Scotia. Graham is researching Harts who came
from Connecticut to Nova Scotia, and earlier Harts;
Lawrence
Rice Phillips,
of Gibson County, Indiana, who is a descendant of John Jack Phillips (1797 GA -
1868 Hazelton, Gibson County, Indiana). This early founding family was divided
and engaged on both sides of the Revolutionary War;
David Raymond Ripley, PhD, now of Grand
Portage, Minnesota, has been a science advisor to two US Presidents. Of late,
he has turned his research skills back to the tenth century, where he is
researching the earliest families to use 'Ripley' as a surname, and has found
that the first was Thurstan, Archbishop of York. Regardless of surname due to
marriage of daughters, Thurstan is a direct ancestor of thousands of living
Americans and Canadians. Thurstan was the progenitor of most or all of the
surname Ripleys of Yorkshire, who later emigrated to America and Canada. David has
obtained dozens of source books, in English, Anglo-Saxon, and French, and could
now write a PhD level paper on the subject. One of David's immediate ancestors
was Henry Ripley (1851-1921) of Blum Hill, Texas. All names and events
described here, may be found in the NFFG Online Family Tree, and on the page
describing 'The Origins of the Ripley Name';
Teresa
Marie Herrman,
of Columbus, Ohio, has provided extensive research including source records,
newspaper clipping, etc, without which NFFG would not have been able to
assemble the genealogy of her family. She is descended from Johan Mattheus
Herrmann (1771-1835) of Bavaria. This founding family emigrated to Gallia
County, Ohio, and through marriages of children and grandchildren, merged with
several other founding families of America. This detailed genealogy may also be
viewed online at the NFFG Online Family Tree;
Timothy
M. Kenny,
of Omaha, Nebraska, has provided records and information, about the Kenny
family which came from Ireland to America and Canada. The Kennys and others
were part of a cluster of families, who emigrated as Fitzwilliam Estate
Pioneers, from County Kilcavan in Ireland, and arrived in Quebec during
1847-55. After a short stay in Canada, where they worked on the construction of
the Rideau Canal and other projects, some of the children & descendants of
this founding family moved to America, and many settled in Nebraska.
Recent
New Members (2009-2011)
John
Richard Sharp (Jack Sharp), also Adjudicator of the John Sharp Family Tree,
as listed in the NFFG Online Family Tree. Residing at Baltimore, Maryland.
Biography
and Notes:
John Richard Sharp: "I am a retired Presbyterian minister, living in
Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I became very interested in my family background, and
began a search, in earnest, around 1977. Originally I concentrated on tracing
my parents surnames (Sharp and Smith), and, soon expanded that search to
include both my grandmothers’ surnames (McKnitt and Seymour). My wife’s
interest led me to unravel a mystery about her family – discovering, after her
mother’s death, that her maiden name was not Marshall, but Malizewski. Her
father’s name was Futty.
So,
I have focused on: SHARP, SMITH, SEYMOUR, MCKNITT, SEYMOUR, MALIZEWSKI and
FUTTY."
Jack
has posted major parts of his family tree at his site on Ancestry.com. He may
be reached directly at johnrsharp1@verizon.net.
_____________________________________________________________
Frederick
Morris Phillips III (Fritz Phillips), also Adjudicator of the NFFG
listed Descendants of David Phillips b. NJ 1754. Residing 2009 at Jobstown,
New Jersey.
Biographical
& Personal Notes:
"I am Frederick Morris Phillips. Born Mt. Holly, New Jersey, 1932 in
the middle of the depression. Attended Blair academy and Penn Charter school and
finally the United States Navy prior to attendance at Cornell University.
Married Alice Chappel Bedford and had two Children, Frederick IV, and Victoria.
I divorced after 8 years and then moved around the country, always coming home
to the family farm in Jobstown, New Jersey. Throughout my life, I have been
haunted by the ongoing search for the genesis of my family Over 50 years, on
and off I have searched the documents for proofs and clues in order to unravel
my sources. I enjoy it a great deal and wish to share the research with anyone
who might find it helpful. Keep Smiling...
Fritz
Phillips (Frederick Morris Phillips Jr.), 2800 Monmouth Road, Jobstown, New
Jersey, 08041 2214 U S A.
NFFG
Notes: Fritz has been researching his ancestors for over years, and has
posted a family tree at fp17 on Ancestry.com, of almost 30,000 individuals -
one of the great family tree achievements at that location. His direct Phillips
line back to David Phillips (b.1754) (and beyond), is posted at the NFFG
Online Family Tree. Fritz may be contacted directly at fp71@comcast.net.
___________________________________________________________________
Donna
(Jess) Powell, (Donna Powell) also Adjudicator of the Powell - Jess
family tree which appears at the NFFG Online Family Tree, and also at Donna's
pages at Ancestry.com. Residing 2009 at Grimsby, Ontario.
Biographical
Note: "I enjoyed a wonderful childhood being raised on a 200 acre farm in
Ancaster, Ontario, where my parents had cattle for milk, crops for feeding the
cattle and a dog kennel. The joy of dogs has stayed with me and I have bred and
shown Yorkshire Terriers since 1987. Since our two sons have grown up and moved
away and my husband has retired, I have become interested in developing a
family tree to pass on to our sons. I never thought this little search would
turn into such a fascinating hobby that I work on daily."
Notes: Donna has worked for
several years on her family research project, which has taken her back to
families in Quebec, Ontario, and England. NFFG has assisted by locating some
source records. Some of theancestors of her research focus are found in
Winnipeg in the early 1900s, and she traces how these two families were united
through her own marriage. Donna may be reached directly at braecliff@cogeco.ca.
One of Donna's Champion Yorkshire
Terriers. Wow. Yorkie lovers, contact her directly.
_____________________________________________________________
Dorothy
Jean (Moss) Smith (Dot Smith), Wide experience with source records of
the interwoven families of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Brunswick.
Biographical
and Personal Notes: "I am Dot Smith age 78 and having been doing
genealogy on my families since I was in the 8th grade. I live in So. Sutton, NH
and have for 30+ years. Did a lot of genealogy when my family and I had to boom
out to Montana and Arizona. I worked in a woolen mill that made felts for paper
mills in Ma. where I was born. In NH I worked at a golf course and yes did play
golf. My hobbies are cooking and still canning goods from the garden. I have 2
boys and a dau (she lives with me) 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandkids. My
main interest is in genealogy. Surnames: Porter, Fanjoy, Dickinson, Stilwell,
Howland, Chase, Drake, Tilley, Moss, Davis, Willis, Lawrence, Warren and so
many more.
Dot
may be contacted at dorfysmith@yahoo.com.
_____________________________________________________________
Richard
Miller. A researcher with wide experience and expertise. Resides in Dallas,
Texas.
Research notes: NFFG has worked with Richard
developing difficult cross-country linkages in specific families which he is
developing. This joint research may be found at the NFFG Online Family Tree,
for example with John McGann of Ireland, (b. abt. 1812), and with Rev. Abel
Washburn of Maine & New Brunswick (1797-1881). Richard is the owner of an
impressive and rich online family tree of 24,054 individuals (as of November
2009) at Ancestry.com, which is accessible with permission from Richard. His
tree is entitled "MILLER FAMILY MAIN TREE", and may be found at
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/5590494/family.
Biographical
Note: "I
am currently a Texas resident, though originally from Oklahoma, where I was
reared by a World War II veteran and a survivor of the 1950's polio epidemic. I
received my undergraduate education at OSU, Stillwater, and went on to the
Graduate School of Banking at SMU (Dallas), and the School of Law, at Oklahoma
City University. I spent most of my professional career in financial &
legal service & am now semi retired.
I
am now single, but was married for a number of years and am blessed with two
daughters, two sons in law, and four grandchildren. They are all a joy.
My
ancestry interest and skills date from my mother's long efforts in those years
before internet records, over even the internet itself, existed. Her diligence,
appreciation for family history, patience in the pursuit of trace records,
inspired me to pursue that same passion for myself & others. My mother and
father have long since passed, but my ancestry efforts continue. My Miller
family heritage, though now rooted in the American Heartland, in fact over the
generations, flows from Canada, Ireland, Germany, France, possibly the
Netherlands, and as of yet some surname lines yet to be fully researched beyond
8 or 9 generations. What continued for me as 'hobby' some years ago in ancestry
research, developed into one of the most valued gifts I have found that I could
pass on to my grandchildren about their lives, their trials, their successes
& also their failures and tribulations. That's a life lesson for them which
I could not pass on except by telling over the script of generations."
NFFG
continues to work with Richard with several family lines, in an attempt to
resolve family links & uncover records.
Richard may be reached at millerrichardj@gmail.com
Elmer M. Cranton, M.D. graduated from Harvard
Medical School in 1964. He recently retired after 40 years of medical practice
to pursue his interest in history. This led to a further interest in genealogy.
Elmer served in the Korean war in 1951 as a naval shipboard radar repair
technician, following which he was accepted to flight training as a Naval
Aviation Cadet and was commissioned in 1954 as a Naval Aviator. He flew from a
number of aircraft carriers and was a jet fighter pilot until 1957 when he
switched to a new career in medicine, entering premed at the University of
Colorado, Boulder. In 1959 he attended a German University in Erlangen on an
exchange fellowship for a year, returning in 1960 to Harvard Medical School on
a U.S. Navy scholarship. He served 4 more years in the Navy, during which time
he was stationed in the Antarctic for a year as Officer-in-Charge of Byrd
Station, part of the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Research Program.
A 20-mile wide bay in Antarctica was named for him, Cranton Bay. Subsequently
Elmer was elected President of the American Academy for Advancement in
Medicine, President of the American Holistic Medical Association, and President
of the Smyth County Medical Society in Virginia, He also served a year as
Chief-of-Staff at a U.S. Public Health Service Hospital. For many years he was
Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Advancement in Medicine. He authored a
number of books, including a scientific textbook for physicians, and published
many scientific articles in the field of medicine.
Dr.
Cranton is researching his own & his wife’s ancestries. With the Cranton
surname, for example, Elmer is working back through time, through the Crantons
& Scrantons of Nova Scotia, who were seafaring people & later farmers,
during the time around the American Revolution of 1776-1873. Were they, or were
they not, the same family. Current research suggests that they were the same
family. Does any visitor here, have any evidence either way?? Many descendants
moved to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and other locations in America &
Canada, where many interesting family stories are found. Also in the early
settlement cluster of Cape Breton and Manchester NS, are families with names
such as Ingraham, Phillips and Hart. The Scrantons & others of this
settlement group, were amongst the earliest founding settlers of New England.
Dr.
Cranton and I would like to hear from Debbie McKay, a Margaree researcher,
who was in touch with us about ten years ago, but her contact information has
been lost.
______________________________________________________
You may add your name and area of family research to the
above listing, by joining NFFG - and see
your focus and brief biography posted here. You will be in good company!
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you would like to enter our online Family Tree Records, please click here.
Visit the main web page of NFFG, The Network of Founding Family Genealogies, by clicking here. Here, you will be able see how to join, to read references, and get much more information.
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