#65: Remembering Adam Pirron: Celebrating his 155th Birthday (February 22, 1871–After 1916)

Biographical Sketch: Pirron, Adam (1871–After 1916)

The following biographical sketch is based on the family history research conducted by my mother, (name withheld for privacy). Supplemental historical context and geographical details of the Bavarian Palatinate have been provided by Gemini.

Adam Pirron was born on February 22, 1871, in Fockenberg-Limbach, Bavaria (modern-day Germany). He was the son of Adam Pirron and Elisabeth Westrich. While his sisters, Catherine and Caroline, sought new horizons across the Atlantic, Adam remained the "anchor" of the family in the Palatinate, living a life deeply tied to the land and his community until the winds of war changed everything.

#64: Thomas Archer Davidson Birthday Celebration and Biographical Sketch

Biographical Sketch: Davidson, Thomas Archer (1850–1924)

Thomas Archer Davidson was born on February 15, 1850, in Buckingham County, Virginia. He was the son of Joseph Cornelious Davidson and Vitula Sandridge. While his official death certificate recorded his birth as February 14, his family records and traditions maintained he was born on February 15, a date that persists in family history despite the official record.

#63: Layering the Pigment—The Widow’s Tax and Brotherly Bonds

Halifax Hues #2: Layering the Pigment—The Widow’s Tax and Brotherly Bonds

In my last post, I shared my "Theory in Progress": the hunch that my wife’s ancestor, Daniel Epps, was the brother of William Epps, making them both sons of the Revolutionary War veteran Moses Epps. Proving a connection in early 19th-century Virginia often requires looking at who lived next door to whom. Since I lacked a birth register entry, I turned to the Halifax County Tax Lists and Census Records to see if these men occupied the same physical and legal space.

#62: The Ohioans! | Abraham Miller: What the Census Suggests

The Ohioans! | Abraham Miller

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-07)

Henry Miller (abt 1806-1883) was a long-standing brick wall in my wife’s ancestry. I originally began my “The Ohioans!” series with a post about Henry and “The Land” they lived and were buried on. However, while researching for the 52 Ancestors prompt “What the Census Suggests,” I discovered documented histories that I had missed back in 2020.

#61: Favorite Photo

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-06)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of February 2 is "Favorite Photo.”

Scan of a photo of Edward Olsen and his great-grandmother Cecelia Strahle Hillenbrand. From the collection of ©️Virginia Summers Olsen, originally from the collection of Emma Dorothy Hillenbrand Olsen.