In Who's Namesake...Ancestors in 52 Weeks

This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Topic Info:

They could be ancestors who had the same name for many generations? Or were named for famous people? Someone who saved a person's life? Or were named for a favorite food, flower, or scenic spot. Do you have a name that's been carried through the family for several generations? An ancestor named for a famous person or someone special to the family?

This week's topic is on namesakes. Namesakes are big in my family, but I thought it was because my generation lost creativity or something.

Namesakes in this generation of family
For instance, my brother's name was Charles Adam. He was named after our grandmother's partner Charles Gardner and my great grandfather Adam Wojtkowski. When my brother and sister in law had a son, they named him Charles Adam Jr. In our family we call the child by their initials so Charles Adam Jr was CJ for Charles Junior. My nephew grew annoyed at this and wants to be called Charles now, but to those of us in the family CJ will stick. My brother did try and he called him Junior much of the time.

My sister, Jean, has a son and he was named after his father. My ex brother in law's name is Tommy or Thomas, so my nephew is called TJ for Thomas Jr. My sister, Debbie, had a son and his middle name is after my father, so his name is Eric Matthew. Like I said, many of us weren't very original in this generation.

It was only when I started to put the family tree together, I found there were many namesakes within the family and it gets to be a real headache. In fact, one family the Galloway's, way back when did a real good thing. In each generation for about 4 generations, each son had named at least one son a John, a George, and a Washington. Sometimes, for real laughs, they had a George Washington as well as a Washington. I would have loved to be around when they had the entire family together that's for sure!

Who's my Namesake...? A bet is a bet. 
If I had to pick just one namesake, it would probably be me. Yep, me. Something I know more than a lot about if I do say so myself.

When my parents found out my mother was pregnant again, as I would be the 5th child, they made a bet on the sex of the baby. If it was a boy, it would be named after my father Matthew. If it was a girl, then it would be named after my mother, Jo Ann.

1956 Picture of my mother and father in Newburgh, NY. Credit: M. Schmitz

My mother went into labor and had to call my paternal grandmother Jean Schmitz, due to my father being in the south offloading one of the US Navy submarines as he was on duty. It was funny how my father heard about my birth. Apparently, West Point hospital where I was born, called the Red Chinese whispers!

My military birth certificate front side. Copyright: J. Fitzgerald

Cross to give my father the information. This was intercepted by one of the radio men on board, who called my father to give him the heads up that I was born, but had to send a message to the CO, commanding officer, on board even though they were in port. Within fifteen minutes, the CO approached my father to tell him of the birth. Talk about


The CO told him.....    Congratulations its a girl.............

1972 local newspaper which announces my birth.

What about your middle name?

I do have a middle name which is Janet.

Janet is my maternal grandmother's first name. I know my grandmother was adored by my mother and her brother, Jimmy. I'm not sure about the oldest brother Louis.

Undated photo of my grandmother Janet. Credit: J. Gauquie

The sad part is I met my grandmother maybe four times my entire life. Even then, she didn't say much because the hospital she was in had her so pumped up on medication, she didn't even know what planet she was on let alone who was in the room with her, which is just sad.

Because I didn't know much about my grandmother, it fueled me on to find out more about her in my research. This was tricky because she was a housewife and mother and didn't attend society lunches
or committees. However, I was able to find out when they visited, sold land or houses, and even found an advertisement for her selling her sewing which I was impressed with.

My grandmother, in pink above, is trying to sell hats she made. Credit

This made me a bit happier because I knew a bit more about her and not just what I've been told. I wrote about her in one of my past posts when I found where she was buried.

So that's it...my name comes from my mother and her mother.

SNL with Alec Baldwin. Credit

Ta Da!