Phyllis A. Still's Blog

A long but needed post for the descendants of Mary and William McGuire.

The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 protected Protestants living near Metz when King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Yet, this is the year, the *Pfarrer Kormann said Mary’s great grandfather, Lucus Challie (various spellings), “emigrated from the vicinity of Metz.” Based on the Pfarrer’s research, Lucus’s birth year was 1670, calculating …

Continue reading "The Swiss Challies Become German Shallys"

Discovering the True Story of Mary Shirley McGuire My Dad’s maternal line climbs the tree from, Ballard, Coats, then Elizabeth McGuire, the daughter of Thomas, the son of William and Mary. An Early Source of Confusion Mary’s niece, Mary Shirley-Daily, daughter of Charles (Charlie) was 97 years old when she passed down the family story …

Continue reading "Shaking the Family Tree"

Recovering from knee surgery in Antigua, Guatemala.

Multi-Generation Discussion

When the vacation plan changed.

I never expected to go on a mission trip to Antigua, Guatemala.

Discovering the Characters and Plots Hidden in the Historical Events.