Sarah Jane Howell was born September 16, 1860, the first child of James Howell and Hannah Poole. Sarah is the only one of my England-born great- and second-great-grandparents to be born outside the Forest of Dean. Her place of nativity lies north of the Forest, in the county of Stafford in the English Midlands, specifically, in … Continue reading Sarah Jane Howell
George
James William George
James William George was born on October 23, 1856 in Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, England. James William, who went by William, was the fourth of five children born to William George and Elizabeth Weaver George. He was their only son. Lydbrook occupies the steep-sided valley of the Great Hough (pronounced “How”) Brook which is a tributary of … Continue reading James William George
Esther Cooper
Esther Cooper was born August 26, 1856, in Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, England. Esther was the first child of Joseph Cooper and Esther Elliss, who had been married but a few months at the time of her birth. In a sad turn of events, Esther’s mother died eight days after Esther was born, from puerperal fever, sometimes called … Continue reading Esther Cooper
Richard Yemm
Richard Yemm was born on June 13, 1853, in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. He was the fifth of seven children born to Stephen Yemm and Ann Harper. His family lived in the village of Upper Lydbook, in an area called Worrall Hill, where Stephen and Ann had moved shortly after the birth … Continue reading Richard Yemm
Arthur George
My mom’s maternal grandfather, Arthur George, was born November 3, 1881 in a hamlet called Edge End in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. Arthur was the oldest of eight children (six boys and two girls) born to James William George and Sarah Jane Howell. Arthur grew up in the Forest of Dean, a rural … Continue reading Arthur George
Esther Yemm
My mom’s maternal grandmother, Esther Yemm, was born January 7, 1879 in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. Her parents, Richard Yemm and Esther Cooper, had six children (three boys and three girls). Esther was the oldest and the only one without a middle name. Esther was always known as Tot to her grandchildren, but … Continue reading Esther Yemm
Ruby Kathleen George
A beautifully manicured red fingernail just tapped me on the shoulder. Hello, Ruby! Yes, it’s your turn now! The second oldest of my four grandparents is my mom’s mother, Ruby Kathleen Melbra George. Ruby was born in Cuba, Illinois (pop. 2,000) on April 6, 1908, to Arthur George and Esther Yemm. Esther broke with tradition … Continue reading Ruby Kathleen George
The Singing Oak 