Frank J. Aden

Frank J. Aden

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 12 Theme: 12

Generation 6
My Great Grandfather

Rigsby, Kienlen, Aden

This week's theme is "12". One of Amy Johnson Crow's suggested interpretations of this theme was to write about the person 
who is #12 on an ancestor chart. 
This is your mother's father's father.

I don't know much about my great grandfather, Frank Aden, but that's okay.
It reminds me that I need to call my Uncle Tom to get some stories out of him.
Anyone who knows Uncle Tom knows I'll have no problems doing this!

Captain Thomas Cowan's Family

Captain Thomas Cowan's Family52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Barkley Cowan

Week 11 Theme: Large Family

Generation 10
My 5th Great Grandparents

Rigsby, Kienlen, Aden, Thompson, Cowan


I come from what is considered an average-sized family. I have two sisters. I only have cousins on my mom's side. I remember spending time with my cousins growing up, and we were all about the same age, or I should say most of us were born within the same decade, except the youngest who still likes to remind us he is the youngest (You know who you are!).

My mom's family was a bit different. I always thought it was funny that she was the same age as her Uncle Ray. They graduated from high school together.

I recently learned that she was the Maid of Honor at her Aunt Martha's wedding.

There is a lot of overlap in large families, and relationships were not always what we 
expect them to be based on today's perspective. 

Thomas Cowan and Mary Elizabeth Barkley had a large family of fourteen children.
It must have been a struggle to raise such a large family during an exciting
but difficult time in our nations's history.
This is a fairly well-researched family, given the number of descendants
that exist today.  Even so, there are still mysteries to be solved.

Uncle Joey

"Uncle Joey"

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 10 Theme: Bachelor Uncle

Joseph Patrick Kister, Jr.

Generation 3
My Brother-in-Law
and my kids' uncle

Rigsby, Kister


Joseph, or "Joey" as we called him, was my husband's brother.
There would eventually be four boys in the family, and Joey was the second.

Joan with Mark, Joey, and Mike  c. 1967

Joan and Joe with Joey, Mark, Mike, and Kevin, c. 1970

Joey was a kind person, and family was 
important to him. This was especially true as our family
began to grow. His photo album contained a few pictures of 
friends and vacations, but mostly family, and most of these of
his nieces and nephew. 

Our oldest daughter Jennifer loved her Uncle Joey.
I remember when we asked him to be her Godfather.
He looked so happy and proud!

1989

Joey was also there, video camera in hand, to take the first videos of our 
second daughter, Kristin. I was completely miserable at the time, itching like crazy after some medicine they had given me. He filmed
that too because he thought it was funny.
I did not.

He didn't live near us when our third daughter Jessica was born, but
whenever he visited he enjoyed seeing the girls.
His eyes lit up.

When Jennifer was six, he gave her a little kit to make necklaces. 
Just beads and plastic string.
We lost Joey before she turned 7. 
She made two necklaces. One for her, and one for him.
He still has his.