Tag Archives: Martha Ann Bucy

Generations of Firstborn Daughters

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The recent post of the three-generation photo prompted an observation that we have quite a string of generations of firstborn daughters in the family. By “firstborn daughter” I mean “firstborn child who is a daughter,” not just the first daughter born in the family. The string is at least six generations long. It could be longer, but I don’t have any information about Sarah Hammell’s mother’s mother’s family. (The grandmother’s maiden name was Mary Fellows, for what it’s worth. And she, too, could have been the firstborn in her family. I just don’t have any information one way or the other.)

What is known starts with Martha Ann (Bucy) Rine, Sarah’s mother, who was the firstborn in her family. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may remember her, sitting in front of a house smoking a pipe.

Her daughter Sarah Mellisa (Rine) Hammell was the firstborn in her family. You’ve seen a lot of Sarah in these posts, of course.

Sarah’s daughter was Addie (Hammell) McClain, who was the firstborn in her family. She was Grandma to many of the readers here.

Addie’s daughter Florence (McClain) Wright (my mother) was the firstborn in her family.

Florence’s daughter (and my sister) Donna (Wright) Chittick was the firstborn in her family.

Finally, Donna’s daughter Anna (Chittick) Major was the firstborn in her family. But there it ends. Her firstborn was a boy, and the string of firstborn daughters was finished.

Here are some three- and four-generation photos of these firstborn daughters over the years. I’ve tried to put them in chronological order, but I don’t have dates for all of them so I may not have gotten them all right.

Addie McClain, Florence McClain and Sarah Hammell standing in front of the Hammell residence at 122 N Sherman St. 1928, maybe? About 1926.
Addie, Sarah and Florence in front of the McClain residence in Tallman, 1930. This photo appeared in a previous post.
Addie, Florence and Sarah in front of the Tallman house again, maybe 1932.
Another generation, another firstborn daughter: Florence (now Wright), Addie (holding Donna Wright) and Sarah. I don’t know where this was taken. It seems as though it must have been taken in mid-1936 when Donna was about 18 months old and before Florence was visibly pregnant with Clara.
Addie, Florence and Sarah with Donna Wright (in front) at the Tallman house about 1940. Some funny expressions here.
Same group, same time, same place, but with a happier Donna.
This photo was taken about 1963. A generation has passed off the scene (Sarah passed away in 1942), but yet another firstborn daughter has arrived. Donna (now Chittick) holding Anna Chittick, with Florence and Addie.
This must be 1985-ish 1993-ish is 1992. Another generation arrives, another generation departs (Addie passed away in 1973). But this time it’s different. Anna (now Major) is holding her first daughter, Christina Major, but her firstborn was her son, Timothy. The spell is broken. ;–) Anna is with Donna and Florence. Florence had taken a bad fall not long before this. Her nose and upper lip were still recovering.