A Birthday For Bertha

Today happens to represent one of those serendipitous yet simple coincidences that genealogy researchers sometimes stumble upon. Nothing monumental—it’s just a calendar thing.

My focus in this series has been on pursuing First Families of Ohio designation for one of the many Ohio ancestors in my husband’s maternal line. I’ve gradually moved through the family’s history from the point at which immigrant Nicholas Dominic Schneider staked his 1820 claim for land in Perry County, Ohio. We’ve moved clear through the century, taking a look at Nicholas’ son Simon, then Simon’s daughter Emily Catherine, and on to her daughter Bertha. Yesterday, we focused on then seven year old Bertha Metzger, named after her mother, Bertha Gordon, and herself a Snider descendant as the great-great-granddaughter of Nicholas.

I’ve been intending to trace the family roots through to the present, continuing with the younger Bertha’s marriage and family. However, in pulling up my database and taking a look at my files, it dawned on me: today is November 18.

And November 18, one hundred and eight years ago, this same Bertha made her entrance into the world. The girl with the big bow and the worried eyes, the lone daughter sandwiched between two older brothers and two younger brothers, eventually went on to marry and raise a family of her own. And we’ll talk more about that another day.

But for today, I thought it appropriate to pause and let Bertha have her day. It is, after all, her birthday. She may not be here to celebrate it, but we can certainly take the time to remember her.

After all, isn’t that what genealogy is all about, anyhow?