Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: How Many Generations Did Your Parents or Grandparents Know?

I skipped last week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun because it was a repeat, but this week's is one of those that's interesting because it makes you think about parallel timelines.

Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music, please!):

(1) Miriam Robbins wrote a wonderful post today about her grandson playing with a toy first used by Miriam's great-grandfather.  See Seven Generations for the details.

(2) So how many generations of family did you know, or your parents or your grandparents know?  Ancestors and descendants.  

(3) Tell us in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a comment on this post with a link with your response.

Ok, here's mine:

1.  I (born 1962) knew:
• My paternal grandparents, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903–1995) and Anna Gauntt (1893–1986), and my maternal grandparents, Abraham Meckler (1912–1989) and Lillyan E. Gordon (1919–2006)
• My parents, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935– ) and Myra Roslyn Meckler (1940–1995)
• My siblings
• My two stepsons
• My five grandchildren

2.  My father, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., knew:
• His paternal grandmother, Laura May Armstrong (1882–1970), and his maternal grandparents, Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870–1951) and Jane Dunstan (1871–1954)
• His parents, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. and Anna Gauntt
• His siblings
• His four children
• Seven of his grandchildren
• At least two of his great-grandchildren

3.  My mother, Myra Roslyn Meckler, knew:
• Her paternal great-grandfather, Gershon Itzhak Nowicki (~1858–1948)
• Her paternal grandfather, Morris Meckler (~1862–1953), and her maternal grandparents, Joe Gordon (~1892–1955) and Sarah Libby Brainin (~1890–1963)
• Her parents, Abraham Meckler and Lillyan E. Gordon
• Her siblings
• Her three children
• Three of her grandchildren

4.  My paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr., knew:
• His paternal grandmother, Catherine Fox Owen (1949–1923), and possibly his maternal grandmother, Sarah Ann Lippincott (1860–after 1904)
• His parents, Cornelius Elmer Sellers (1877–1918) and Laura May Armstrong
• His siblings
• His five children
• At least nine of his grandchildren
• Probably seven of his great-grandchildren
• Probably three of his great-great-grandchildren

5.  My paternal grandmother, Anna Gauntt, knew:
• Her paternal grandmother, Amelia Gibson (1831–1908)
• Her parents, Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan
• Her siblings
• Her four children
• Her six grandchildren
• Her two great-grandchildren
• One of her great-great-grandchildren

6.  My maternal grandfather, Abraham Meckler, knew:
• His maternal grandparents, Gershon Itzhak Nowicki and Dora Yelsky (~1858–1936)
• His parents, Morris Meckler and Minnie Zelda Nowicki (~1880–1936)
• His siblings
• His three children
• His five grandchlidren
• Probably one of his great-grandchildren

7.  My maternal grandmother, Lillyan E. Gordon, knew:
• Her paternal grandfather, Victor Gordon (~1866–1925), and her maternal grandparents, Morris Brainin (~1861–1930) and Rose Dorothy Jaffe (~1869–1934)
• Her parents, Joe Gordon and Saray Libby Brainin
• Her siblings
• Her three children
• Her five grandchildren
• Three of her great-grandchildren

So, as in Randy's family, the most I seem to have is seven generations, but in my case for two ancestors.  Both of my paternal grandparents knew seven generations in their families (and I have five-generation photographs of each of them with a child, grandchild, great-grandchild, and great-great-grandchild).  My parents and my maternal grandparents each knew six generations, and I know five.  There's a chance my father will get to meet a great-great-grandchild.

I did find it interesting that among my parents and grandparents, only my mother knew a great-grandparent.