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This is not going to be just one story, but many disparate stories in my tree. Each example illustrates how a first name, middle name, or last name can be transferred "downstream" to another family or generation. As I gather more illustrations, I will see if I can find a way to provide some structure to the collection, but for now they are just listed below.
Stella Westphal was the first child in my grandmother Edna Westphal's family. She was born on 3 Feb 1886 in St. Paul, MN and died 7 short years later in the same location on 2 May 1893, succumbing to diphtheria. She was then buried Lincoln county, MN near where her Wittmer grandparents lived
Stella's mother, Ella (Magdalena) Wittmer had an older brother Jacques, whose first child was born two years later in 1895. This child was named Stella Emma Wittmer, born 9 Jan 1895 in Ash Lake Twp. in Lincoln county in SW Minnesota and she died on 27 May 1992 in Orange County, CA. This Stella was Stella Westphal's first cousin. Note that she died 100 years after her namesake died.
Being honored by having one first cousin named for you was great, but there was another first cousin also named Stella. Stella Westphal's father, William Johann (John or J. W.) Westphal had a sister Lydia Charlotte Louisa Westphal 14 years younger. She married Albert William Green about a year before our Stella Westphal died on 2 May 1893. Lydia and Albert had their first child born about 2 months after Stella Wittmer was born. This child was also named Stella: Stella Alvina Green, born 12 Mar 1895 most likely in Moonshine Twp. in Big Stone county in west-central Minnesota and she died on 12 Jan 1904 in Moonshine Twp., Big Stone County, MN.
Published 2026-01-28.
If you find any errors in the text, please let me know. Thanks. Contact me with errors or comments using hibbardac@gmail.com. [Back to the top] [About the author, Al]
First Call Answeredlisting of family stories by me Hanging Pasta