While I'd love to believe that every descendant of my ancestors will find this blog and be able to access all of the fabulous family history I've archived, I know that is not likely. So last year, I started testing out using Facebook Groups to share. It's been fairly successful, and definitely has a broader audience then this blog.
And so, in the event that someone comes across this blog but not the Facebook groups, I wanted to list the groups here. All family are welcome to join.
My great-great grandfather, Paul C.S. Untiedt, Sr. owned a general store in Kanaranzi, Minnesota. I posted on our Untiedt Family History Facebook group a picture of the store that I had digitized as part of the Don Untiedt archives.
From 1946, below is the obituary that was published in the Sioux Falls, Argus-Leader.
While you probably don't care today while in your teen years, one day, you might!
Your grandma, Phyllis, posted this pictures on her Ancestry account of your great and great-great grandparents. I wanted to add them here so you have one place to find all your family history when the times come that you are curious.
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Your great-grandpa, Olympio Raymond "Ray" Silvia
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Your great-great grandparents, Eugene Perry & Mary Trinidad Mello
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There are some good genes out there, letting some of our ancestors achieve the epic age of 100.
Cheers to these centenarians!
Maternal line
105 years: Lillian (Ahrendt) Galbreath lived to the age of 105. Lillian is a double first cousin 3 times removed who died in June 2004. A "double cousin" means she shares more than one set of grandparents; in her case, Lillian's grandparents were my 3x-great grandparents from both my Ahrendt & Weinreben and my Stroh & Mohr family lines.
101 years: Elizabeth (Guhl) Ahrendt joined our tree through her marriage to Albert B. Ahrendt, a first cousin three times removed.
100 years & 14 days: Anna Ida (Boldt) Albers made the centenarian cut-off by 2 weeks. Those Ahrendts sure have some serious longevity.
Anna's another one of those double cousins. To me, she's a second cousin twice removed, two times, connected to both my Mann & Ahrendt 3x great-grandparents. Here's a visual of both connections.
100 years: Ida (above) wasn't the only member of her immediate family to make it 100; her sister, Viola (Boldt) Jauert also made the list! Those Ahrendt genes sure are long living.
100 years: I don't yet know if Sherry (Schneekloth) Schwaab had any children to pass her DNA along to, but if she did, her marriage to Nathan Schwaab, added the 100 year long branch of his great-aunt, Sophie (Skiba) Borycyka. Sherry's a 3rd cousin to me, as we share the same 2x great-grandparents, Wilhelm Mann & Louise Ahrendt. The Skiba genes with the Ahrendt could produce some long-living descendants.
100 years: Jean (Schwager) Seewald survived 19 days after her 100th birthday. Thanks to her niece, Patricia Schwager, for alerting me to this centeranian I had not yet identified. Jean passed in 2022, and Patricia noted in our Untiedt Facebook group that Jean often talked about visiting her cousins in Kanaranzi.
Paternal line
101 years: The most legendary centenarian is my great-grandmother, Tillie (Anderson) Morud. Tillie lived in rural Deuel county, South Dakota, passing away in June 2007. Here's a three generation picture of Tillie with myself and her great-great-granddaughter Nadia Mathis.
If this interests you, mark this post. I'll keep updating as I identify more 100 club members!
I love my grandbabies! Only have 3 right now, but I'd love 100.
This post is dedicated to those in our family tree who actually achieved the 100 grandchild mark during their life.
Here's the first two, both originating through our Ecklund branch.
Rudolph Tapani. Rudy's obituary of July 2002 notes 102 grandchildren, 201 great-grandchildren, and 20 great great-grandchildren. That's about one grandchild (including greats) born for every day each calendar year. Do you think he knew all their names?
Living to the age of 97, Rudy and his wife, Esther Levanen, parented 16 children. The Tapani families of Battle Ground, Washington weave their ways in, out and all around our family branches, and more connections are sure to be found. However, the most direct Tapani DNA connection is through the marriage of Rudy's daughter, Helen Tapani to Roger Tikka; Roger is a second cousin, once removed through our Ecklund ancestors.
Eleanor (nee Foley) Tikka. Eleanor had 110 grandchildren and 137 great-grandchildren when she passed away in March 2002. She was the mother of 15 kids. [I guess my five kids have some work to do]. A part of our family tree through marriage only (none of the 110 grandchildren is a direct DNA connection to our tree), Eleanor is the sister-in-law of Edna Cunningham Foley, who is an Ecklund 2nd cousin, once removed. Edna married Bruce Foley, Eleanor's brother.
