HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday of the year. I love fall and all it brings - even the promise of winter. Most of all I enjoy how it brings family and friends together to share in traditions and giving thanks, which we don't often enough take time to do throughout the rest of the year. It's a time to slow down before the rush of the holidays, and reflect upon how truly blessed we all are to have each other.
My family are proud descendants of brave pilgrims who chose to come to America on the Mayflower. These pilgrims are why we all give thanks - they struggled so that we could give thanks today. With credit to our relative, the Hon. Harold Van Voorhis, I'd like to share our genealogical line to one young Mayflower passenger:
In 1620, Edward Fuller (13 G’s grandfather) and his wife Ann came to America on the Mayflower, with their son Samuel Fuller (12 G’s grandfather), who was 8 years old. Edward and Ann died the first winter. Their son Samuel was raised by his uncle, Dr. Samuel Fuller, the Pilgrim’s doctor.
Samuel grew up, married, and had a son named John Fuller (11 G’s grandfather), born in 1650,
John grew up, married, and had a daughter named Thankful Fuller (10 G’s grandmother), born in 1679,
Thankful grew up, married, and had a son named John Crippen (9 G’s grandfather), born in 1701,
John grew up, married, and had a son named John Crippen (8 G’s grandfather), born in 1730,
John grew up, married, and had a son named Ichabod Crippen (7 G’s grandfather), born in 1750,
Ichabod grew up, married, and had a son named David Crippen (6 G’s grandfather),
born January 18, 1786,
David grew up, married, and had a daughter named Harriet Crippen (5 G’s grandmother),
born January 10, 1820,
Harriet grew up, married, and had a daughter named Tirzah Fuller (4 G’s grandfather),
born in March 14, 1849,
Tirzah grew up, married, and had a son named Ford Van Voorhis
(3 G's grandfather), born September 4,1872,
Ford grew up, married, and had a daughter named Lena Van Voorhis,
(great-great grandmother), born May 8, 1896
Lena grew up, married, and had a son named Harley Van Seibert (great-grandfather). born August 11, 1917
Harley grew up, had a daughter named Teresa Ann Seibert, (grandmother) born November 8, 1948
Teresa grew up, had a daughter named Jenipher Lynn Wilkinson (mother), born October 1, 1970
Jenipher grew up, had four sons, Ethan, Elijah (twins born September 14, 1995), Emmett (born April 12, 1997), and Escher (born June 27, 2000) Sutherland
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The 15 “greats” grandfather of these boys, on the Van Voorhis side of the family, was Reverend John Robinson (Born 1562, died 1625) He was the pastor of the Pilgrims, who encouraged them to come to America. He was too ill to come on the Mayflower himself, but his son came to America in 1630.
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Another one of our Mayflower ancestors was a man named Stephen Hopkins. BEFORE he came on the Mayflower, he had already been to America EARLIER! Stephen was part of the team that was sent from England, to rescue the Jamestown settlers, in 1610!
That crew was shipwrecked in Bermuda, scrapped together another boat from leftovers and new wood they cut down on the island, and finally arrived at Jamestown on May 25th, 1610. This spring, we held a huge celebration commemorating the 400th anniversary of our family’s arrival on American soil!
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So, whether your family has been here for 4 months or 400 years, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
