52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 9: Gone Too Soon

Welcome to another catch-up post for my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/).

Week 9: Gone Too Soon

There are so many relatives in my family tree who died very young. At first I thought it would be hard to choose one to write about. For example, two of my maternal grandmother's aunts died as young women (in their 20s and 30s), leaving small children behind. Susan Wisneski died of breast cancer, and Cecelia Wisneski of a self-induced abortion (see earlier series about Cecelia and her daughters).

My Vrana/Wrona 2nd-great-grandparents lost 3 children of 6 during infancy, before they immigrated from an industrial city in what is now the Czech Republic to Pennsylvania.

As part of a recent post about my Holloway direct line ancestors, my parents and I realized that my children and their cousins are the first generation of this family line who have known their Holloway grandfather personally. For every previous generation, starting with my brother and I, the Holloway grandfather passed away before his grandchild was born. This pattern holds as far back as I have confirmed the direct ancestors, father-to-son, in this line. All the way back to George Holloway, my 6th-great grandfather, who was born in 1709.

Holloway direct line ancestors (in green),

from myself back to my 6th-great grandfather, George Holloway, born in 1709.

On the surface this may seem like a piece of inconsequential family tree trivia. But the more I have thought about it, the more significance that I see. What gaps in the generational transfer of knowledge and values may have occurred? What oral traditions were lost? How does not knowing your grandfather influence your own view of family, of time, of legacy?

Regardless, I am so grateful that my children have a relationship with my dad, and all four of their grandparents. It is a precious gift for them to learn from them and receive their love, lessons, and stories.

Have you found a pattern like this in your own family tree? I know lives were shorter on average in previous centuries, but so were generations (children born to younger parents, etc.), so I'm curious how common or rare this type of pattern is.

Thanks for reading!