52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 17 "DNA"

 I have done a previous post on how DNA may have helped verify a relationship in my family tree. But for this prompt I want to look at how far back I can verify my various branches thanks to having DNA matches that also link back to those branches through paper trails. 

• I match an aunt, first cousins, and children and grandchildren of first cousins that verify my link to my four grandparents. 
• I match my parents' first cousins, my second cousins and their children that verify my links to my eight great-grandparents.
• I match third cousins and their children and grandchildren that verify my links to all sixteen of my great-great-grandparents.
• I match fourth cousins and their children and grandchildren that verify my links to 14 of my thirty-two great-great-great-grandparents:
• Toemmes/Schmitt2
• Schmitt1/Peters
• Kennedy/Noland
• Ogden/Morrell
• Gibbon/Davidson
• Nilsson/Persdotter
• Strayer/Schaeffer

And that's as far back as I've gotten. As I reviewed these matches, I became confused about whether some of these cousins are mislabeled. I think I may some "removed" levels to remove and some to add. I really  need to add these matches to my Ancestry tree and let Ancestry work out the relationships. Yay, more tasks for my genealogy to-do list.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 16 "Should Be a Movie"

I think that a good screenplay could be developed around the life of my 2xgreat-grandmoteher Anna Helena (Schmitt) Fitzler.

In May of 1858, at the age of 24, she set sail from Antwerp, Belgium on the ship "Charles Cooper." Sailing with her were her future sister-in-law Anna Christina Fitzler and Anna Christina's 5-year-old son Wimar. They landed in New York City on 25 June 1858.

The Charles Cooper

Two weeks later at St. Patrick Catholic Church in LaSalle, Illinois, Anna Helena married Johann Wimar "Wymer" Fitzler in a joint ceremony with Anna Christina Fitzler and Johann Schloesser, most likely the father of Wimar, who became Wimar Schloesser. 

St. Patrick Catholic Church, LaSalle, IL

Anna Helena and her husband settled in Marshall County, Illinois, near the town of Henry, where her two brothers, Peter and Michael were already living. 

Wymer bought a farm in Hopewell Township. Over the years he was forced to take out several mortgages on it. His lack of success may have been a result of alcoholism The progression of the disease and its effects on those around the alcoholic always make for good drama in a film.

On 13 October 1885, Wymer fell to his death from the bridge over the Illinois River outside of Henry. He was returning home after a couple of days in Henry, where he spent at least the last day drinking. 

The climax of the film would be when the authorities come to her door to tell her about her husband's death Anyone who has ever cared about an alcoholic has imagined what that would feel like. I wonder what she felt? Grief. Anger. Relief. Shame. Guilt.  

There was probably an element of guilt since she quickly moved her family to Knox County, Nebraska where she had two married daughters living. She died there many years later in 1904. According to one of her obituaries, she was "known universally as Grandma Fitzler" and had a "kindly nature."

Her life may have been a rocky road, but I think she had a smooth ending. At least I hope she did.