Who Is The Oldest Relative You Remember Meeting?

The Evansville Courier & Press has a great article – “At 97, life is worth a big fuss: Six generations gathered at matriach’s birthday party” – which contains a picture of six generations of the Moore Family of Indiana.  The picture shows a newborn and 5 generations of her ancestors; her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandfather, and great-great-great-grandmother!  It is truly amazing and I highly recommend clicking over to the article to see it.

My Mother’s Mother’s Mother’s Father’s Mother (whew!)

The picture led me to wonder who was my mother’s mother’s mother’s father’s mother (following the same lineage in the article’s picture), and whether I ever met her.  After consulting my family tree software (maybe I could have done it from memory, but I thought I’d save some time!), I discovered that her name was Jemima Cooper.  I never had the opportunity to meet Jemima because she died 53 years before my birth.  She would be 118 years old today.

Then I wondered how many of my other relatives in this generation I had met.  Unfortunately I never met any of my 32 great-great-great-grandparents since the last one died in 1940 (over 35 years before I was born).  Likewise, I never met any of my 16 great-great-grandparents, although I missed the death of the last one by just 13 years.

Of the 3 great-grandparents who were alive when I was born, I met all 3 (born in 1889, 1906, and 1907).  Marley, born in 1889, died in 1983 and one of my earliest childhood memories is of meeting her.

Who Do You Remember?

Did you know any of your great-great-great-grandparents?  Great-great-grandparents?  Who is the oldest relative you remember meeting?

Article via Thomas MacEntee.

16 Responses

  1. William B Evans 25 July 2009 / 2:59 pm

    Only my grandparents and they have passed already.. interesting story.

  2. Donna 25 July 2009 / 5:13 pm

    I got to meet one great-grandparent (she was born 1890) but I was 5 years old and do not remember it. So, the oldest would be my grandmother’s sister, who was born in 1898. I remember visiting her as a child. She still had a German accent but she came to the US at the age of 2!

    Donna’s last blog post..Weekend with Shades ? Remember When?

  3. Aisha 25 July 2009 / 11:02 pm

    Just my grandmother, she’s 86. My great-grandparents all died before I was born. My grandmother is the last living of all her sisters and brothers, most of whom died when I was a child.

    Aisha’s last blog post..BBC on African-American Genetic Genealogy

  4. Mike 28 July 2009 / 12:06 am

    That is awesome. From the youngest up to the great-grandmother to the great great grandfather and great-great grandmother. An amazing family portrait.

  5. Apple 31 July 2009 / 8:54 pm

    I met three of my grandparents. The fourth died just after I was born. All of my great-grandparents had died well before my birth. My grandchildren know their paternal great-great-grandmother but I don’t think they have any clue just how big a deal that is.

    Apple’s last blog post..Sarah Ann Camfield, Jan 26, 1900

  6. Lynn 3 August 2009 / 5:55 pm

    Hah. My family runs to long generations – my mother’s mother’s mother’s father’s mother was born in 1797 and died in 1840. Her name was Mary Leonard and she married Isaac Anderson.
    (The full chain is me, my mother, still living at 86, my grandmother, Ruth Tolson Mershon, her mother, Katharine Anderson, her father Moses Leonard Anderson and his mother Mary Leonard.

  7. Birdy 5 August 2009 / 1:04 pm

    I was lucky enough to meet my great auntie – she was over 90 before she passed away. I was only young but still remember meeting her and can still picture her now. I lucky to still have both sets of grandparents alive now.

  8. Mavis Jones 5 August 2009 / 7:12 pm

    I only met my grandparents. All of my great-grandparents were deceased when I came along. I did get to meet my great-great aunt (my maternal grandfather’s aunt), so I did meet a great grandparents sibling. I was young at the time but looking back he was like she knew I would be the one to carry the torch of telling the ancestors story.

    Mavis Jones’s last blog post..No Tombstone Today

  9. Ponto 9 August 2009 / 6:02 am

    That article would make me shiver. I have always thought that we, us all, would be truly disgusted to meet our forebears. Anyway I haven’t even met my grandparents due to my parents leaving their country of birth, but I really don’t give a fig. Five generations, mostly the female side is what I have heard is possible. Six well that is a feast and luck. Longevity and younger ages at parenthood.

  10. Susi Jones Pentico 16 August 2009 / 12:16 am

    I met my Great Grandmother via phone and letters, from IOWA. She died the year I graduated from HIgh School 1958. I met my Great Uncle in person in 1952 in Wheatland, WYO. I met several other siblings of my Grandmother Inez Scott HOFFMAN. Her Dad died the month before I was born but I heard lots of stories about him from family he was a very interesting man. I have yet to meet a non interesting ancestor.

  11. Susi Jones Pentico 16 August 2009 / 12:18 am

    At this time my mother is the oldest living family member besides my past Grandmother on Dad’s side of the family. She is 89. Grandma FOULK JONES NORRIS was 93 at death. My sister has 5 generations of her family, living near her and so MOM makes sixth.

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  13. Freddie 23 December 2009 / 1:18 am

    My spouse’s lineage, has 6 living generstions, from her maternal grandmother to her great grand neice’s. And yes christmas is a fun time at her parents house, and to list all the living people in each geration would take up way to much space!

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