52 Ancestors: #6 Margaret Jeanette (Nettie) Williams

52 Ancestors: #6 Margaret Jeanette (Nettie) Williams

This year, Amy Johnson Crow has issued a new 52 weeks blogging challenge:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

on her No Story Too Small blog.


The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.

My approach: I plan to make this a Tuesday Theme, and, use it to enhance my WikiTree ancestor profiles. That is, focus on a different ancestor on my WikiTree list of profiles, each week (include possibly adding new profiles), Great idea! Thanks to Randy Seaver's post for bringing this to my attention!

#6 Margaret Jeanette (Nettie) Williams (1869-1936) is #13 on my Ancestor Name (Ahnentafel) List, and is my great-grandmother. She married #12 Alonzo Palmer Kinnick (1870-1923) my great-grandfather.
I am descended through:

* their son, #6 Paul Harold Kinnick (1892-1968), who married #7 Dorthea (Dorothy) Kristine (Christine) Sorensen (1887-1982), and
* their daughter, #3 Mary Eileen Kinnick (1918-1999), who married #2 Delbert Leverne (Pete) Smith (1915-1977), to
* me, #1 William Leverne Smith (1939- …)

I mentioned Nettie last week, of course. When she married Alonzo, as I noted, her Dad was a mason and builder, as well as the ice man, in Coon Rapids. Her mother had died in 1879 when Nettie was just 10 years old…[from Nettie's obituary] "…and left six children. As she [Nettie] was the eldest daughter, the responsibility of mothering them fell upon her shoulders and how well and honorably she fulfilled that task. Her father was married to Sarah Armstrong, July 4, 1887. This marriage, which proved such a blessing to the motherless children freed her from much of the responsibility of the family and she was privileged to go on with her education. She taught school for several years."

Nettie and Alonzo married in 1891 and had five children, born in 1892, 1894, 1896, 1902, and 1908. The two sons and three daughters each lived long lives and had fine family and many grandchildren for the family.

Again, from her obituary: "Her husband died in 1923 and once again the responsibility of the home fell wholly upon her shoulders. When the last of her children were married, she took up practical nursing and made a decided success of it. Her happy and jovial disposition made her a favorite in the sick room and her services were always in demand."

When she died in 1936, at 66 years of age, her obituary included: "Mrs. Kinnick seemed to love everybody and everyone seems to love her. The one word on the lips of all is what a pity that such a good and useful woman should be taken. She occupied a place in the community that will be hard to fill." She had died of complications following an ear infection. It was a shock to the family and the community.

Although the words of obituaries of the time were still a bit "flowery" - the words also seemed to be very sincere, in this case, and best relate to us how she was remembered by her friends and family.



Families are Forever! ;-)