Karyl Bilbrey

Ancestors

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Biography

Template:Mayflower DescendantsIBrewster-4IWilliam Brewster

I inherited my genealogy interest from my Aunt Lucille. She conducted family searches on the Decker, May and Teeter lines, back in the days before computers and the World Wide Web, which means she had to personally visit state and local archives.

Prior to my aunt's research, we had a general knowledge of the core members of my maternal tree. My grandfather, Josiah Turner Decker, was well acquainted with his great grandfather, Judge Josiah Turner, his namesake. In the Decker line we didn't know anyone beyond William Jerome. In the Teeter line we didn't know anyone past John M. Teeter and his wife Helen A. (nee' May) Teeter.

In the 70s, my aunt shared her research with my mothe, in the form of photocopied pages. Those pages, consisting of birth certificates, epitaphs and the rare portrait, did not provide much new information in the way of unknown ancestors.

In the early 2000s, I joined several genealogy sites. I was able to work my way back to Mayflower passengers. When I went back to some of the core photocopied pages, I discovered my great grandmother, Eveline Jane (nee' Turner) Decker's name is mentioned as a Mayflower descendent. I set out to prove the line with the Mayflower Society, but that was easier said than done as proving a line requires proof that connects one generation to the next.

The initial proof I needed was found in the publication: "William Brewster of the Mayflower and His Descendants for Four Generations". This publication covers William Brewster

Jonathan Brewster

Ruth Pickett

Mercy Arnold

Ruhama Ely

Ruhama's bio mentions her husband, Maj Daniel, and their son John Ely. Fortunately, there are copious records detailing this father and son duo in the Vital Records of Lyme, Connecticut. The record trail continues down through the Worthington and Gregory families, both of which contain detailed genealogies.

John Ely

Lucretia Gregory

Edward Ely Gregory

Edward Ely Gregory, a grandson of John Ely, came to reside in Michigan, and was a neighbor for a time to Judge Josiah Turner. Both of their writings appear prominently in the Histories of Howell, Michigan. Their children, Martha Francis Gregory and Jerome Willard Turner were married.

The Turner's only daughter, Eveline, married William Edwin Decker, my mother's paternal grandparents.

The Mayflower Society has rigid guidelines for scrutinizing proof of bloodlines. In their opinion my application needed more supportive proof connecting Eveline Turner to Josiah, and Josiah to me. The reason being, the proof I provided at the time included the US Census, which erroneously recorded my grandfather's name as "Joseph". My birth certificate did not include my mother birth surname. The subsequent discovery of my grandfather's wedding certificate, stating his parent's names, and my newly revised birth certificate from the Health Department stating my mother's surname satisfied their requirements. ------------------

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Karyl Bilbrey at registration.

• The General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Connecticut, Society No: 3934.