It’s spring, we’re at the end of March and it’s time for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun. Randy Seaver has presented the latest challenge:

1)  Write a story using the phrase “ancestor I really admire” in 200 words.  [Hint:  If you write it in a word processor, you can use Tools > Word Count (or similar) to count words]

An ancestor I really admire is Mayflower passenger George Soule, my 9X great grandfather, whose European origins are unknown. I chose him because he was brave enough to leave Europe behind, he survived the sailing and the first brutal winter and he was hardy enough to face building his new life from nothing but land and water. I truly can’t imagine crossing the Atlantic in a small ship knowing that there was nothing on arrival. Shelter, food, and making a completely new life was necessary.

He was a signer of the Mayflower Compact. George began life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a manservant to Edward Winslow, married Mary/Marie Buckett and raised nine children in a quiet, non-assuming Puritan home. He never appeared in court disputes, but volunteered to serve in the 1637 Pequot War and served on juries.

George worked hard during his lifetime, but was successful and fairly wealthy, passing away in Duxbury before 22 January 1679, when his estate inventory was taken. I would love to learn more about his possible origins as DNA results (I-M253) point to France. George Soule has some famous descendants, including Dick Van Dyke, Oliver Hazard Perry and Randy Seaver!

Thanks, Cousin Randy, for a fun challenge this week.!