Uncle Mike

Family History & Family Tree Research
Repinski Family Tree
Repinski Family Line
Memorials
Michael Degaro-Paternal Uncle

Memories Of My Uncle Michael Degaro

On this day in 1975, Michael Degaro passed into heaven.

Michael was my 1st uncle that I remember passing away.

My cousin Laura posted her memory of her father on her Facebook page a bit ago and as I had already been working on some posts of the siblings of my dad and all of my other paternal aunts and uncles, I figured this would be a good morning to further dig into the life of this man who's memories are in the "childhood file" of my brain.....

Michael Degaro (1932-1975)

My Uncle Mike was only 42 years old when he died.

He is buried in St. Bronislava in Plover Wisconsin, in the Repinski-Dulek family plot, having been one of the 1st of my uncles to have passed away. 

Brief Biography of Michael A. Degaro

Ancestry of Michael:

 Parents, Grandparents & Siblings

Michael was born on March 11, 1932 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

He was the son of Louis Degaro (B: 1903) and Margaret (Maggie) Cortez (B: 1906) of Milwaukee Wisconsin.

I have found that his ancestry from his father originated in this country in NY where Michael's grandparents immigrated to from Italy and that from his mother, it seems that her "Cortez" family originated in Mexico and before that from Spain. 

Michael's father, Louis was the son of Samuel Degaro (B:1867) in Italy and Anna ? (B: 1876) in Italy.

Samuel and Anna immigrated to the United States in 1895.

According to the 1920 US Census (screenshot below), Samuel and Anna Degaro had the following children and others in their household in Milwaukee in 1920:

Mike was the third son of the above couple, having Leonard (B: 1925), Samuel (B: 1929) and Joseph (B: 1936) as his three other siblings.

Father Louis was 29 years old and mother Maggie was 26 years old when Michael was born.

This snapshot of Michael Degaro's life was captured by the 1940 U.S. Census.

Michael Degaro was born about 1932, the son of Maggie and Louis. 

In 1940, he was 8 years old and lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his father, mother, and 3 brothers.

I am not sure how they are all related but as I am pretty good at the genealogical research aspect of things, I am sure that the connections are there somewhere. 

Michael grew up in Milwaukee Wisconsin and from what I can tell from all the Degaro names below, (see screenshot) that he had an extensive extended family in the Milwaukee area. 

As a young man, Michael served as a PFC in the United States Military. I am not sure how many years he served but must have been back in Wisconsin in the early 1960s as that is about the time that he married Mary Jo Woyak Repinski.....

Marriage & Children

Michael married my dad's sister, Mary Jo Repinski Woyak, in the early 1960s. 

I do not know much about my uncle's early life but I do know that he and my Aunt Mary Jo loved each other very much during their short life together and that they would raise four wonderful children together; Connie, Richard, Laura and Scott....my 1st cousins.

"My Childhood Memories of my Uncle Mike"

While growing up and visiting my grandparent's family farm, I remember seeing my Uncle Mike and being in complete awe of him. 

My parents would also take us to visit him and aunt Mary and their children at their home in Southeast Wisconsin many times when we were young.

He was a handsome man with a debonair look and from what I remember,  with a very witty sense of humor.

I remember one Christmas on the family farm where I was a bit sad that grandma had somehow forgot to give me a Christmas gift  (all of my brothers and sisters had gotten knitted mittens from her).

As I was crying in the front room of the farm house, he came in to the room and asked what was wrong. I told him that I didn't think that grandma cared about me as I didn't get anything from her....

A few minutes later, there was a giant (to me) pair of leather gloves handed to me....him saying that she hadn't forgotten about me, but that I was getting a special pair of "big man gloves" so I could help  with chores on the farm and that they would fit me better as I became a handsome young man.

My aunt Mary would go on to have another husband after Mike passed away and though my memories of the ensuing years have faded in the midst of time, I will always remember that one Christmas on the family farm, where I was given one of the best Christmas gifts from one of the finest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Rest in peace Uncle Michael Degaro.

Your Nephew John Repinski

Sources & Further Reading:

https://www.weremember.com/michael-degaro/2x6l/memories

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/77292475

http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/cemetery/portage-stbronislava.html

https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Wisconsin/Michael-Degaro_2qsv6l

Family Trees:

Mike and Mary Jo Degaro found in 11 trees

Mary Jo Degaro from tree :

Degaro/Kreuser Family Tree

"Doris Katherine Krueser Degaro was the wife of Mike's brother, Samuel Degaro"

Record information:

Birth date/date/1932 city Milwaukee Wisconsin USA

Birth date/date/1942 city Portage Wisconsin USA

Marriage mm/year city Portage Wisconsin USA

Residence year city Sheboygan Wisconsin USA

Death date/date/year city Ozaukee Wisconsin USA

Record information.

Father:Repinski given name surname (1907-year)

Mother: Dulak given name surname (1907-year)

Spouse:Michael A Degaro (1932-year)

Father: Degaro (1902-year)

Mother: Cortez (1907-year)

266 People

9 Records

11 Sources

Reverend Samuel Skelton -11th Great Grandfather

Family History Research
Repinski-Dietz Family Tree
Samuel Skelton-11th Great Grandfather
Another Ancestral Connection to Salem Massachusetts
Surname Branches: Repinski-Dietz-Brown-Smith-Olney-Marsh-Skelton


Reverend Samuel Skelton
BIRTH Feb 1592
Boston, Boston Borough, Lincolnshire, England
DEATH 2 Aug 1634 (aged 42)
Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA

Today I discovered another ancestral Great Grandpa who was one of the men responsible for the founding of the 1st church in Salem Mass.

Samuel Skelton was one of my 11th Great Grandfathers in a line that comes down to me through my mother, Marlene Dietz Repinski via one of her many family branches back to Colonial New England.

I found this amazing man and the story of his life while researching a line that goes back to my 'Basset" family branch of Medieval England that I have been looking into of late.

I also came upon an interesting possible further family connection to another of my ancestral great grandfathers, Roger Williams, through Samuel's mother who's maiden name is Williams. Sarah Williams, who would be my 12th Great grandmother and who married Samuel's father, William Skelton.

Sarah was born in 1565 in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, England and though I have been unable to find her parents at this point, I have a feeling that she is closely related to Roger Williams as the connections via the Salem Church and Roger being one of it's members, leads me to surmise that somewhere there is an intimate relationship....

I discover at least 4 new ancestral great grandparents each day and I find myself so lucky to have been born to this woman who I have discovered has a pedigree that is so utterly amazing.
If she only knew of all of this while she was alive.

Peter The Wild Boy

Do you know the story of "Peter The Wild Boy"??

Every once in a while I come upon a story from history that has largely been forgotten. 

The story below is one of these. I read about Peter in a history magazine the other evening and I was thoroughly intrigued.

If Peter could have told his own story, it would have been a magnificent story to tell.

Meet "Peter The Wild Boy of Kensington Palace"......

Cokie Roberts-16th Cousin

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Dietz Family Line
Surname branches:
My branches:
Repinski-Deitz-Brown-Smith-Sayles-Scott-Marbury-Dryeden-Cope-Raleigh
Cokie's Branches:
Raliegh-Lockwood-Hoo-Townsend-Stith-Thorp-Bray-Claiborn-Boggs-Roberts

Cokie Roberts died this past week on September 17, 2019.

I remember listening to Cokie on NPR (National Public Radio) on my many drives and years later as she worked for the TV news networks. Her reporting was brilliant and captivating.

She was a true legend in news reporting. 

Cokie was also my distant cousin through our shared ancestral Great Grandmother, Margaret Verney Raleigh. 

T. Boone Pickens-16th Cousin

Family History Research
Repinski Family History
Dietz Family Tree
Surnames: Repinski-Dietz-Brown-Smith-Sayles-Scott-Marbury-Blount

 T. Boone Pickens 

(1928-2019)

A True Texas Legend "shuffled off this mortal coil today"...

T. Boone Pickens passed away today, September 11th, 2019 in Dallas Texas.

T. Boone was one of the better known Texas Oil Tycoons of the last century.

I heard about his passing on my way to work this morning. I again heard about it while listening to the news on TV while setting up the restaurant. 

I felt a personal connection to this man for some reason....

On my way home from work tonight, NPR had a segment talking about his life and how his philanthropic efforts helped so many Texas institutions and the people served by this.

When I got home, there was a post on my Facebook Wall about his passing.

I then decided to a bit of research on this man.

I discovered in a matter of minutes that

Thomas Boone Pickens was my 16th cousin once removed.

I had the pleasure of meeting him at the hotel I work at a few years ago.

Back then I had no idea we shared the same kinfolk that goes back many generations.

Following is my family connection to T Boone and the discovery I made this evening that shows how we share some pretty neat ancestral family lines including some English Knights and Barons and a Spanish Ancestral Great Grandmother named Sancha Blount, Lady de Ayala, who's family ancestry goes back to the Royal and Noble families of Early Spain and Portugal.

Rest in Peace Cousin Thomas

In Memory of Diane Repinski Pichler

Sunday August 25th, 2019

Today I take a break from my family history to honor a member of my family from the present who passed on to the next realm a few days ago. 

It is rare that one person can touch so many lives in such a positive way. 

My cousin Diane was one of those people.

We understand death only after it has placed its hands on someone we love.

And when death has placed its hands on those that we love, it gives us solace to remember them and their life.

Today I remember my friend and my cousin.....

Monument To My Plymouth Forefathers

Family History and Research
Repinski-Dietz Family Tree

"My Mayflower Heritage"

As I continue to research my mother's  (Marlene Dietz Repinski) family history going back to Colonial New England and the Mayflower and the pilgrims, I was brought to tears by the monument below and the photos of it.

Engraved on this majestic monument are the names of the 102 brave souls who journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to America in the year 1620 to start new lives in a new world. Of these 102 people, I and my siblings, through our mother, would descend from 16 of them and an additional 9 of them would be ancestral great aunts and uncles.

I have a feeling that I share kinship with many more of these 102 people but research to this date has not showed any more than the 25 people I have discovered. 

Close to 400 years later, these "Forefathers" now have over a million descendents including myself and my siblings and their children.

I am honored and proud to be one of these descendents of the "forethathers".

John Deitz-3rd Great Grandfather

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Deitz Family Branch
John Deitz-3rd Great Grandfather

Today, July 22nd, 2019 is the birthday of my 3rd Great Grandfather.

He would have been 195 years old.

John immigrated from Germany before 1851 but I am unsure of the year as I have not found a record of his immigration or naturalization as a citizen of the United States.

John was a veteran of The Civil War fighting on the side of the Union.

John was also the ancestral great grandfather of quite a few people.

A little of the life of John F Deitz Senior follows:

Patrick Swayze-Cousin Of The Month

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Deitz Family Line
Branches-Surnames:
Line One: Repinski-Deitz-Pope-Jenney-Eyre
Line Two: Line two: Repinski-Deitz-Pope-Smith-Craighead-Hart-Stewart

Patrick Wayne Swayze-15th Cousin

Growing up in the 1970s, one of my favorite books was "The Outsiders" and I read it with a fervor....and not that many books in my early teen years captured my attention long enough to read them from cover to cover. 

A few years in to the future, this book would be made into a movie that would be the start of the career of a young actor by the name of Patrick Swayze.

Years later I would meet him in of all places....my home town and many years after his death, I would discover that we are kinfolk to one another through one of my mom's family lines back to Colonial New England and Great Britain.

Following is a story of my chance encounter back in the 1990's with a pretty cool Hollywood actor, memories of a part of my childhood and the research of a family line that led to the discovery a few yeas ago that this man is also a distant cousin of myself and my siblings through one of our mother's family tree branches.  

If I only knew then what I know now.

Henry Allen Pope-2nd Great Grandfather

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Deitz-Pope Family Line
Henry Alan Pope-2nd Great Grandfather

We all have 16 second great grandparents. Without those 16 souls, we would not exist. 

Today is the birthday of one of those 2nd great grandfathers that was responsible for part of myself and my siblings and their children through our mother, Marlene Deitz Repinski.

It is through Henry and his daughter Grace's (my great grandmother) lines that I discovered my family ancestry to my 11th Great Grandfathers Isaac Allerton and Richard Warren who traveled to across the vast Atlantic Ocean from England to North America in the year 1620 on the famous Mayflower and who helped lay the foundation for what would one day become the United States of America.

Henry Allen Pope would have been 157 years old today.

Happy 157th Birthday Grandpa.

A brief sketch of the life of my 2nd Great Grandfather, Henry Allen Pope and his parents and his descendants follows:

The Bush Cousins-Presidents of the U.S.

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Deitz Family Line

As I continue to dig into my family tree and my mom's family line I keep coming across neat cousin connections to some very noteworthy people.
I discovered one of my lines to the Bush family a little more than a year ago and with more research I have recently discovered a few more lines.

A few of these have been presidents of the United States. Two of these cousins that descend from some of our mutual ancestral great grandparents are former presidents George Bush Sr. and Jr.

Not only do both of them descend from numerous Mayflower passengers who I share a common ancestor with but they also descend from another of my early colonial Plymouth Mass. settlers, a man by the name of Thomas Pope.

While researching my various family connections to these two presidents, I came across family connections to both of their wives. 

To discover that my mother's family tree connects via numerous different blood lines to both of these presidents and their wives in numerous ancestral great grandparents is truly neat and amazing.

Following are a few of these familial connections from my mother to myself and my siblings and their children that I have discovered recently......

Edinburgh Castle-Historic Castles of my Ancestors

Family Tree History & Research

Historic Castles of my Ancestors

Repinski Family Tree

Detiz Family Line

Surnames: Repinski-Pope-Smith-Norton-Cheney-Cokayne-De Grey-Hastings-Huntingdon-Cranmore

Castle: Edinburgh Castle-Edinburgh, Scotland

Since I began researching my family tree branches from my mother's English family branches from my great grandmother Grace Pope Deitz and my great grandfather Henry Deitz, I have discovered not only early colonial American settlers but further back, the history of both of their lines brings European nobility and royalty into the family mix. 

With these noble and royal ancestors also came the grand homes, manors, castles and palaces that they built and lived in through the centuries.

Most people have heard of the following castle, set high upon a craggy rock overlooking the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.

The first stone castle was built on this site by one of these ancestors. 

My 27th Great Grandfather, David mac Maíl Choluim Cranmore, also known as David I, King of Scotland commenced the building of Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh Castle And My Ancestral Relatives

Edinburgh Castle is situated on Castle Rock in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Castle Rock formed after a volcano erupted over 340 million years ago. The first castle that existed on the rock was known as “The Castle of the Maidens”. According to legend, the castle had been a shrine to the “Nine Maidens”, one of whom was Morgan le Fay.

Castle Rock had been a military base and royal residence for centuries. However, the edifice that is known as Edinburgh Castle was built during the 12th century by David I, son of Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Statue of David I-King of Scots

David I, son of Saint Margaret of Scotland was my 27th Great Grandfather and his mother, St. Margeret of Scotland was my 28th Great Grandmother.

Saint Margaret, Queen of Scots is your 27th great grandmother.

You 

   →  Marlene Grace Repinski 

your mother →  Raymond Harold Dietz 

her father →  Grace Elizabeth Dietz 

his mother →  Isadore Pope 

her mother →  Edward Y Smith 

her father → Sophronia Smith 

his mother →  Tristram Norton 

her father →  Mary Norton 

his mother →  Millicent Norton 

her mother →  Thomas Cheney, Jr. 

her father →  Thomas Cheney 

his father → William Cheney, Sr. 

his father →  Lawrence Cheney 

his father →  William Cheney 

his father →  William Cheney 

his father →  John Cheney 

his father → Sir Thomas Cheney, Kt., of Irthlingborough 

his father →  Sir John Cheyne, Kt. 

his father →  Elizabeth Cokayne 

his mother →  Baroness Ida Cokayne 

her mother → Reynold de Grey, 2nd Baron Grey de Ruthin 

her father →  Elizabeth Hastings, Baroness Grey of Ruthin 

his mother →  John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings 

her father → Sir Henry ll de Hastings, of Ashill 

his father →  Ada of Huntingdon, Heiress of Yardley 

his mother →  David, 8th Earl of Huntingdon 

her father → Henry, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon 

his father →  David I, King of Scots 

his father →  Saint Margaret, Queen of Scots 

his mother

St. Margaret, Queen of Scots-27th Great Grandmother

The tensions between the English and Scottish monarchies nearly always centred on Edinburgh Castle. He who held the castle held rule over the city of Edinburgh and, therefore, over all of Scotland. Consequently, the castle was almost constantly under siege.

The first major battle the castle witnessed was during the late 13th century when Edward I of England attempted to seize the then vacant Scottish throne. 

(Edward I, King of England being my 23rd great grandfather through another line)

From 1296 to 1341, the castle bounced from English to Scottish hands several times during the First and Second Wars of Scottish Independence.

After the Wars of Independence, the castle was in great need of repairs. 

Most of the construction was overseen by David II. 

David II King of Scotland
21st Great Uncle

David II was my 21st Great Uncle through his father, King Robert Bruce, my 22nd Great Grandfather. 

Robert Bruce-King of Scots-22nd Great Grandfather

He was also my 3rd cousin-20 times removed through my 21st Great Grandmother, Maud FitzJohn, Countess of Warwick and her sister, Aveline Fitzjohn, of Ulster, my 22nd great aunt who was David's Great Grandmother.

In his honour, David’s Tower was erected.

Mary-Queen of Scots

In 1571, English forces laid siege to the city of Edinburgh in an attempt to capture Mary, Queen of Scots. The siege, which lasted for two years, became known as the “long” or “Lang” siege. By February of 1573, all of Mary’s supporters had surrendered to the English. During the Lang Siege, David’s Tower was destroyed.

Mary, Queen of Scots was my 13th great aunt (we are both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland, she a daughter of James and myself a 14th great grandson of James)

James V-King of Scots-14th Great Grandfather

The castle, again, witnessed strife when, in 1650, Oliver Cromwell executed Charles I and led an invasion of Scotland. In August of that year, Edinburgh Castle fell into English hands.

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was my third cousin 13 times removed (we are both descendants of Morgan Williams, he a 2nd great grandchild of Morgan and myself a 15th great grandson of Morgan). 

Morgan was the son of Joan Tudor who was a supposed illegitimate daughter of Jasper Tudor. 

Charles I

Charles I was my second cousin 13 times removed (We are both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland, he a great grandson of James and myself a 14th great grandson of James)

During the Jacobite Risings (1688-1746), the Scots attempted, several times, to recapture their castle. Unfortunately, they were never able to overpower the English. The final attempt was in 1745 when the Jacobite army was led by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie). 

Charles Edward Stuart-Bonnie Prince Charlie

Charles Edward Stuart was my fifth cousin 10 times removed (we are also both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland, he a 4th great grandson of James and myself a 14th great grandson of James)

Although the Scots were able to capture the city, they were never able to lay siege to the castle. In November of that year, the Jacobites were forced to retreat.

From the late 18th century to the early 19th, Edinburgh Castle was used to hold military prisoners from England’s many wars. The castle became a national monument in 1814 after a mass prison break proved that the castle could not hold prisoners. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the castle was slowly restored. Military ceremonies began to be held there and, in 1927, part of the castle was turned into the Scottish National War Memorial.

Edinburgh Castle is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland. The more than one million people who visit the castle each year witness military ceremonies, historical re-enactments, and can visit sites such as St. Margaret’s Chapel and the Great Hall of King James IV.

Edinburgh Castle as seen from the neighborhood at the bottom of the  Rock

Timeline of Edinburgh Castle

340 million B.C.E. – Castle Rock forms after volcanic eruption

900 B.C.E. – Castle Rock is inhabited by humans for the first time

638 C.E. – The city of Din Eidyn is captured by the English and renamed Edinburgh

c. 1070 C.E. – Malcolm III marries an English princess later known as Saint Margaret of Scotland

(My 27th Great Grandparents)

1130 C.E. – Margaret's son, David I, builds on Castle Rock the edifice that is still standing to this day

(My 26th Great Grandfather)

1286 C.E. – Alexander III dies without a successor. Edward I of England declares himself feudal overlord of Scotland

(Alexander III was my 23rd great uncle-he being the son of Alexander II, King of Scotland and myself being the 24th great grandson of Alexander II, King of Scotland)

1296 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle is captured by the English under the command of Edward I

(Edward I, King of England was my 23rd great grandfather)

1313 C.E. – Castle is recaptured by the Scots

1334 C.E. – Castle is, again, captured by the British

1341 C.E. – Castle is, once again, recaptured by the Scots

1356 C.E. – David II rebuilds the castle; David’s Tower is named in his honor

(David II was my 21st great uncle)

1511 C.E. – James IV builds the great hall that can still be seen to this day

(James IV was my 15th Great Grandfather)

1573 C.E. – The Lang Siege takes place and destroys David’s Tower

1578 C.E. – Castle is rebuilt

1633 C.E. – Charles I becomes the last Scottish monarch to inhabit Edinburgh Castle

(Charles I was my 2nd cousin 13 times removed)

1650 C.E. – Oliver Cromwell executes Charles I and captures the castle

(Oliver Cromwell was my 3rd cousin 13 times removed)

1689 C.E. – Members of the first Jacobite Rising attempt, and fail, to recapture the castle

1745 C.E. – Bonnie Prince Charlie and the members of the fifth Jacobite Rising, once again, attempt and fail to recapture the castle

(Bonnie Prince Charlie was my 5th cousin 10 times removed)

1757 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle is turned into a prison and holds thousands of military prisoners from the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars

1822 C.E. – George IV of England becomes the first ruling monarch to visit the castle in nearly two hundred years

(George is my 7th cousin 8 times removed as we are also both descendants of James V Stuart-King of Scotland. He being a 6th great grandson of James and myself being a 14th great grandson ofJames)

1927 C.E. – Part of the castle is turned into the Scottish National War Memorial

1945 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle survives World War II

1999 C.E. – Edinburgh Castle becomes one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland

Present Day – Edinburgh Castle has over one million visitors each year

I hope to be one of the over one million visitors to this home of my 27th Ancestral Great Grandfather and other ancestral relatives someday soon. 

How neat it will be to touch the very place that was home to my kinfolk and my blood all those hundreds of years ago. 

Warm Regards,

My Family Historian

John J Repinski

Some links for further reading on some of these ancestral relatives in my family tree:

St Margeret of Scotland-27th Great Grandmother

Margaret's Geni Profile

David I of Scotland

David's Geni Profile

David-8th Earl of Hundington-24th Great Grandfather

David's Geni profile

Henry De Hastings-23rd Great Grandfather

Henry's Geni Profile

Henry of Scotland-25th Great Grandfather

Henry's Geni profile

Maude Fitzjohn Countess of Warwick-23rd Great Grandmother

Robert Bruce-King of Scotland-22nd Great Grandfather

Sources for this post:

*https://www.facebook.com/CastlesofUK/posts/2326216507618412?__tn__=K-R

*https://www.geni.com/people/David-I-King-of-Scots/6000000002461246164?through=6000000005029367221

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Castle

*https://www.geni.com/people/Saint-Margaret-Queen-of-Scots/6000000009432315864?through=6000000002461246164

*https://www.geni.com/people/David-II-king-of-Scots/303650988800006466

*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bruce-510

*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stuart-1

*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stewart-6849

*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stewart-588

*https://www.geni.com/people/James-IV-of-Scotland/4229916861440069622

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_I_of_Scotland

Relative Of The Week- Adelicia of Louvain

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Deitz Family Line
Pope-Mitchell-Cushman Branches
Adelicia of Louvain-Queen of England
25th Great Grandmother


Another Queen of England popped into my family tree a few days ago. Though she had no children with King Henry I, after his death she remarried her royal butler, a man named William d’Aubigny, who was made 1st Earl of Arundel in her right, and with him had seven children including my 24th Great Grandfather, William IV d'Aubigny 2nd Earl of Arundel & Sussex.

Meet another of my 25th Great Grandmothers and Grandfathers.......

A Family Story Of My Irish Ancestry

Family Tree History and Research
Repinski Family History
*Dietz Family Line
Dietz-Brown-Smith-Sayles-Olney-Abberbury-Coshill-de Cokesy-Griffith-Madog-Gruffyd-Cynan-Branches to Ireland.
*Pope Family Line
Pope-Jenney-Bokill-Leyston-Gerard-Fitzgerald-de Carrew-O'Brian Branches to Ireland
Niall of the Nine Hostages-High King of Ireland

Today on the biggest Irish holiday I have the pleasure of writing about an ancestral great grandfather from a very long time ago in Irish history. Up until a year ago I didn't even know that my family had Irish blood. What a surprise to find this line from my mom's side of our family.

Fourty some generations ago....

I discovered this man about a year ago while researching one of the many branches of my family genealogy.

Since my discovery, I have been trying to find out as much as possible about him and about my lineage from this man of the remote past to myself and my family in the present. What I have discovered is that a pretty huge portion of early Irish history was ruled by and fought over by a plethora of my ancestral great grandfathers and their kinfolk. 

This fantastic branch of family history comes from my mother, Marlene Dietz Repinski's family line from her father Raymond Dietz and his father Henry Dietz. 

And from this line, I and my siblings and their children are the 46th and 47th great grandchildren of this historic King of the Emerald Isles.

I then discovered a few weeks ago that through my grandfather Raymond's mother, Grace Pope Dietz, that I and my siblings and their children are 44th and 45th great grandchildren of this man as well.

This is probably the 5 or 6th instance of both of my great grandparents being related through the same ancestors. How small the world really is when one thinks about it....

Meet Niall....one of the first High Kings of Ireland...and an ancestor of some other two million humans that have lived on this earth besides me and my kin.

Niall is also rumored to be one of the Irish raiders that kidnapped Saint Patrick in Roman Britain and brought him back to Ireland, thus beginning Patrick's love for Ireland and the eventual attachment of this venerable man to the Irish holiday that millions of people celebrate today in his honor. In fact, one of Niall's sons (Owen-Eogan, my 47th Great Uncle in one line and a 46th Great Grandfather in another line) was baptized by Patrick and was a friend of his and is buried in St. Patrick's churchyard. 

May the Luck of the Irish be Upon you all as you read the story of my ancestral great grandfather. on this St. Patrick's Day....

Another Repinski Cousin in Texas!!

Family History & Research
Repinski Family Tree
Repinski Family Branch
David Repinski-Cousin
Mathias Rzepinski-3rd Great Grandfather

On Monday, December 17th, 2018  I received and email on my LinkedIn account from a David Repinski.

He saw my name on the site and that I lived here in Texas.

The email mentioned that my name, John, reminded him of his dear departed grandfather who had the same name as myself.

We started corresponding and we realized that not only do we live two towns apart (he in Southlake, TX and myself in Keller, TX) but that we both hail from the state of Wisconsin.

His family moved to Georgia when he was a young child.

Read on for my discovery of a new cousin that lives right around the corner from me here in Texas and in the process of researching I discovered my 3rd Great Grandfather, Mathias Rzepinski!!

Ralph Waldo Emerson-4th Cousin

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Dietz Family Line
Branch #1: Repinski/ Dietz/Pope/ Converse/ Richardson/ Reed
Branch #2: Repinski/ Dietz/ Pope/Smith/ Norton/Cheney/Atkinson
Ralph Waldo Emerson-4th & 6th Cousin


More research on my moms New England line about a year ago gave me a new cousin.

Meet our 4th cousin as well as our 6th cousin through two different lines (that I have researched).

We are also connected to him in a few other ways but I haven’t had time to delve into those lines.
His pedigree on Famouskin.com (see link below) shows quite a few mutual ancestral and collateral relationships including our 11th great grandmother Elizabeth Tilley from the Mayflower, a few Royals and more.

Famous Kin of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Roger Williams-10th Great Grandfather

Family History & Research
Repinski Family Tree
Dietz Family Line
Branches:
(1of 2): Repinski-Dietz-Brown-Smith-Sayles-Williams
(2 of 2): Repinski-Dietz-Brown-Smith-Waterman-Williams

Roger Williams
Founder of Rhode Island
10th great grandfather

I recently discovered that the man who founded the state of Rhode Island is one of my many ancestral great grandfathers while researching one of my family tree branches.

As I was doing my research, I discovered a family bible entry from a distant cousin that mapped out the pedigree from Roger to both of my 5th Great Grandparents. There were quite a few ancestors with the Smith surname around that era and the Bible entry explained how they were all related and who their spouses were. It is through this bible entry that I was able to trace back to Roger.

I am proud to be a 10th great grandson among many of his descendants.

I descend from him twice.

I look forward to meeting cousins whom I share blood with  and to hopefully meet others who share some of the same lines that I do from this great man who had such an impact on the history of Rhode Island and thus the early beginnings of our country.

Following is a brief history of and my link to this amazing ancestor who was a very important part of the history of our nation.

John Amyas-13th Great Grandfather

Family History Research
Repinski Family Tree
Dietz Family Line
Brown-Smith-Dexter-Field-Amyas Branches
John Amyas, Esquire-13th Great Grandfather
Seargent At Arms to King Henry VIII

In my research into my family history I have discovered so many things that have made my mind spin out of control. 

Thoughts of "how could this be possible" is one of the biggest questions my brain has asked time and time again.

Today while doing research I discovered a 13th great grandfather that was the "Sergeant At Arms" of King Henry VIII of England. During the research into my ancestry to him and his ancestry, I also discovered that one of his ancestral great grandmothers was the aunt of Elizabeth Grey Woodville York, Queen of England and wife of Edward IV York, King of England.

Who was this ancestor of mine and what exactly was a "Seargent At Arms"???

Meet my 13th Great Grandfather, John Amyas, Esquire

J. Willard Marriott-11th Cousin

Family History Research
Repinski-Dietz Family
Dietz Family Line
Branches: Brown, Medbury, Brown, Beauchamp, Clarke
J. Willard Marriott
Founder of Marriott Hotels
11th Cousin

While researching some of the lines that branch out from my Dietz family line through my mother, Marlene Dietz Repinski, I discovered that the founder of the company that I work for was my 11th Cousin!! This is one of the more neat discoveries that I have made in the past couple months. 

Meet J. Willard Marriott, the man who created the world's biggest Hotel Empire. The company that I have worked for since 1999.

Introduction

John Willard Marriott, Sr. (September 17, 1900 – August 13, 1985) was an American entrepreneur and businessman. 

He was the founder of the Marriott Corporation (which became Marriott International in 1993), the parent company of one of the world's largest hospitality, hotel chains, and food services companies. 

The Marriott company rose from a small root beer stand in Washington, D.C. in 1927 to a chain of family restaurants by 1932, to its first motel in 1957. 

By the time he died, the Marriott company operated 1,400 restaurants and 143 hotels and resorts worldwide, including two theme parks, earned USD $4.5 billion in revenue annually with 154,600 employees. The company's interests even extended to a line of cruise ships.

Marriott Hotels is now the world's largest Hotel and Hospitality.

My Family Line & J.W.'s Family Line

Our Common Ancestors

The two common ancestors of J.W. and myself are Robert Clarke (born 1513) and Margaret Bliss (born 1517) who were my 13th Great Grandparents and who would have been J.W.'s 10th Great Grandparents. 

They lived in Courteenhall, Northampton, England.

My 12th Great Grandfather, Edward Clarke (born 1540) and Katherine Clarke Marriott (born 1547) were brother and sister. They were two of six children of Robert and Margaret.

I have not been able to research their lives as of yet. 

Who knows what else I will find when I have the time to do so.....

J. Willard Marriott

1 Early life
2 Business career
3 Business colleagues
4 Legacy
5 Personal life
6      Sources

Early life

Marriott was born at Marriott Settlement (present day Marriott-Slaterville, Utah), the second of eight children of Hyrum Willard Marriott and Ellen Morris Marriott.

As a child, "Bill", as J. Willard was called, helped to raise sugar beets and sheep on his family's farm. At age 13, Marriott raised lettuce on several fallow acres on the farm and the harvest at summer's end brought $2,000, which Marriott gave to his father. The next year, Hyrum entrusted Marriott, his eldest son, with the sale of a herd of 3,000 sheep, sending him and the sheep unescorted by rail to San Francisco.

At the age of 19 and as a devout Latter Day-Saint, he undertook the traditional missionary work of the church for two years, being assigned to New England.

On his way home after completing his mission, he passed through Washington, D.C. during the sweltering summer months of 1921. While there:

"... [H]e walked from Capitol Hill to the Washington Monument, toiled up the steps to the top, walked back down again, and strolled over to the Lincoln Memorial. Everywhere he went tourists and pedestrians sweltered and sweated in the sultry, humid air. On the way back to his hotel, he just stood there in the street watching the crowds, he couldn't get over it: a push cart peddler would come along the street selling lemonade and soda pop and ice cream, and in minutes he would be cleaned out and on his way to stock up with another cartload".

Marriott graduated from Weber State University, here he served as student body president, with an associate degree in June 1923 and from the University of Utah, where he affiliated with Phi Delta Theta, with a bachelor's degree in June 1926.

After Marriott earned his bachelor's degree, the president of Weber, Aaron Tracy, who had assisted Marriott to enroll there by helping him make up secondary education credits missed due to the Marriott family's ranching efforts, employed him at the school in Ogden.

Marriott soon felt the urge, however, to be his own boss. He heard about a cousin's A&W Root Beer franchise and, remembering his experience seeing so many people suffer through the brutal summer heat of Washington, D.C., he decided to look into a venture there.

Business career

In 1927, he secured from A&W Root Beer the franchise rights for Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; and Richmond, Virginia; he then moved to Washington to open a nine-stool root beer stand there with his business partner, Hugh Colton.

They opened on May 20, 1927 at 3128 14th Street, NW. He returned to Utah two weeks later, and married Alice Sheets on 9 June 1927. With the approach of cooler Autumn months, and with the addition of Mexican food items to the menu, the stand became The Hot Shoppe, a popular family restaurant.

In 1928, he opened the first drive-in east of the Mississippi, and the business was incorporated as Hot Shoppes, Inc. in Delaware in 1929. During the Second World War, the business expanded to include the management of food services in defense plants and government buildings, such as the U.S. Treasury.

Marriott's restaurant chain grew, and the company went public in 1953. In 1957, he expanded his business to hotels, opening the first Marriott hotel—actually a motel, the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

The company became Marriott, Inc. in 1967. Two large chains were added to the group, the Big Boy family restaurants in 1967 and Roy Rogers Family Restaurants in 1968.

Over the years, Marriott's company interests expanded. Continuing with food services, Marriott eventually invented airline in-flight food service. This segment of their enterprise continues to be a large part of their business, providing food services to many major airlines. Marriott also provides food services to many colleges, elementary schools and other venues.


Marriott was an energetic worker and rarely rested, preferring to run his company. Many attested to the fact that he ate, lived, breathed and dreamed about how to run and improve his company:

"His managers never knew what time of day or night he’d show up at the kitchen door and go bird-dogging almost at a half-run through the kitchen, the pantries, the storage rooms, the refrigerators, the restaurant itself, running a finger over the shelves to check for dust, checking under tables and in cutlery drawers, checking the ranges, the storage rooms, the trays about to be served, sampling the root beer, and raising hell if everything wasn’t spotless, neat, clean, bright, polished, done efficiently, done well."
Even after the company grew to include hundreds of restaurants and hotels, Marriott vowed to personally inspect every establishment at least four times a year.

Marriott tempered his rigid demands for perfection with devotion to his employees. According to his son, Bill Jr.,:

"In establishing the culture of the company, there was a lot of attention and tender loving care paid to the hourly workers. When they were sick, he went to see them. When they were in trouble, he got them out of trouble. He created a family loyalty."
According to Marriott himself (from a videotaped segment):

"You’ve got to make your employees happy. If the employees are happy, they are going to make the customers happy."
Marriott's wife, Alice Sheets, was actively involved in the business, starting as the bookkeeper at the root-beer stand. Despite the demands of the company, she felt her role as a mother to her two sons was her most important calling and balanced the demands of both of her endeavors.

Marriott and his wife had two sons. Their son Bill Marriott, Jr. is currently Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Marriott International. The other son is Richard Marriott, Chairman of the board for Host Hotels & Resorts, formerly Host Marriott Corporation.

Business colleagues

J. Willard Marriott maintained extensive business connections with his Mormon heritage. A prominent associate was Michigan Governor George W. Romney, father of Willard Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and the GOP candidate for president of the United States in 2012. The family friendship is trans-generational as evidenced by Bill Marriott donating $1 million personally to Restore Our Future, a Romney PAC. Mitt Romney's first name is Willard, after John Willard Marriott.

Marriott was for many years in the late 1940s and 1950s president of the LDS Church's Washington Stake headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Legacy

Institutions/buildings named in honor of J. Willard Marriott

Marriott School of Management

Marriott Center

J. Willard Marriott Library

Marriott Allied Health Building at Weber State University
Marriott's legacy continues today through the continuance of the company he founded and through his community involvement and philanthropy. Marriott was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and sought to share the church's teachings with others by placing a copy of the Book of Mormon in each hotel room, alongside a copy of a Gideon Bible—a tradition that has endured. He also donated funds to the church's flagship tertiary educational institution, Brigham Young University, resulting in the naming of the university's 19000-seat multi-purpose arena (Marriott Center) in his honor. While serving as home to the BYU Cougars men's and women's college basketball teams, the center also hosts various cultural events and religious devotionals. Also at BYU, the university's business school, the Marriott School of Management, is named in honor of Marriott. On the campuses of Marriott's alma maters stands the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah and the Marriott Allied Health Building at Weber State University which houses the Dumke College of Heath Professions.

Personal life

In 1935, Marriott was diagnosed with lymphoma and given between six months to a year to live. However, he survived to live until 1985.

Marriott was, for many years in the late 1940s and 1950s, president of the LDS Church's Washington Stake headquartered in Washington, D.C.

End Notes

I never got the chance to meet my 11th cousin but I did meet his son Bill Marriott a few years ago.

 I am honored to share blood with this man who's company I have worked at for close to 20 years.

 This company has been a very large part of my life for many years and I can't think of a time that the word "Marriott" has not been part of my daily life.

Sources:
https://relativefinder.org/#/relatives/individual/KW8P-6TY/LTZ7-CCK/51404/4098/LH2Z-P87/39355/false/Male/J.%2520Willard%2520Marriott%252C%2520Sr./Robert%2520Clarcke/Business%2520Leaders
 "J. Willard Marriott". www.marriott.com.
^ Jump up to: a b O'Brien, Robert, Marriott: The J. W. Marriott Story, Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co, 1977
^ "Bill Marriott—Big Time Restaurant Man" from The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta, 1949, Volume 73, No. 3, Page 165
^ Marriott Culture - Company Heritage | J. Willard Marriott
^ Site Plan for Former Twin Bridges Site County Board Agenda Item, October 15, 2005, Arlington County Government Website
^ O'Brien
^ [1] Archived May 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
^ "Mormons’ First Families Rally Behind Romney" from The New York Times
^ Jump up to: a b O'Brien, Robert, Marriott: The J. W. Marriott Story, Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co, 1977

Edward Gove-9th Great Grandfather

Family History & Research
Repinski-Dietz Family Tree
Dietz Family Line
Pope-Gove Family Branch
Edward Gove
9th Great Grandfather

I cried when I read the following two paragraphs:

The judge then respited all the defendents except Edward Gove until the king should declare their punishment; but immediately, shedding tears while doing so, passed sentence upon Edward Gove, as follows:

You, Edward Gove, shall be drawn on a hedge to the place of execution, and there you shall be hanged by ye neck, and when yet living be cut down and cast on the ground, and your bowels shall be taken out of your belly, and your privy members cut off and burnt while you are yet alive, your head shall be cut off and your body divided into four parts, and your head and quarters shall be placed where our sovereign lord, the King pleaseth to appoint. And the Lord have mercy on your soul.

Sometimes in the course of researching family history a story arises that should be put down in our family collection of stories, and this is one.


Meet Edward Gove, the 9th Great Grandfather of myself and my siblings through our mother, Marlene Dietz Repinski.