Thanksgiving is a time to share a meal with family and give thanks. It wouldn’t be complete with remembering those ancestors who broke bread in thanks years ago. In my case, those ancestors include a family who shared the blessings of the harvest with Squanto and his band of Patuxet Indians.

George Soule is (probably) my 9th great grandfather. George was born in England around 1595 and traveled as a servant for Edward Winslow, perhaps as a teacher for Winslow’s children, aboard the Mayflower.

My presumed path from George Soule:

1. George Soule (c. 1595 – 1679) m. Mary Beckett
2. Nathaniel Soule (1637 – 1699) m. Rose Thorn
3. Sylvanus Soule (1684 – 1766) m. Sarah Slade
4. William Soule m. Keziah Gifford
5. Jacob Soule (1744 – 1822) m. Meribah Lewis
6. Anna Nancy Soule (1775 – 1830) m. Zepheniah Rogers
7. Howard Rogers (1813 – 1883) m. Mary Ann Chapman
8. Henrietta Rogers (1869 – 1950) m. Stanton M Wolford
9. Raymond Hudson Wolford (1909 – 1970) m. Caroline Porubsky
10. Barbara Jean Wolford m. Howard David Witt
11. Rebeca Ann Witt m. Patrick Edward Lowry
12. Joseph Patrick Lowry m. Eileen Ann Cummings

Genealogies published through the Mayflower Society have allowed me to verify generations 1 through 5 and I can personally verify generations 8 through 12. I’m less certain about connecting 5 to 8, but figured there’s only one day a year I can write about the a Mayflower connection and that was Thanksgiving. Waiting until Thanksgiving 2014 didn’t seem like any fun!