Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Two Degrees of Separation

Randy has posted his latest Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge on GeneaMusings. This week's challenge is titled "Two Degrees of Separation." Here's the assignment:

1. Using your ancestral lines, how far back in time can you go with two degrees of separation? That means "you knew an ancestor, who knew another ancestor." When was that second ancestor born?
2. Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook or a stream post on Google Plus.

Randy broke his down by line, so I thought I would, too.

1. My STEWART line: I met my grandfather, James Edward STEWART (1910-1972). He would've known his grandparents Augustus L MERRILL (1848-1920) & Sarah Jane (EASTWOOD) MERRILL (1848-1923) as they all lived in Pennsylvania.
2. My PETERS line: I knew my grandmother, Hazel Lucille (PETERS) STEWART (1910-1975). She lived in the same small town as her grandfather, Josiah Randolph COPPENBARGER (1844-1934).
3. My KAECHLE line: I knew my grandfather, Sherman Joseph KAECHLE (1907-1987). His great grandmother, Marya "Mary Ann" (REUTER) KARBACK (1825-1914) lived until he was about 7 years old. He lived in Detroit, Michigan while she lived in Huron, Ohio. They are only 120 miles apart so I am pretty sure they would have met.
4. My DICKSON line: I knew my grandmother, Ethel Evelyn (DICKSON) KAECHLE (1915-2004). She was raised by her grandmother, Sallie Harriet (DICKSON) WARD (1860-1960) who lived to be 99 years old. 

Mary Ann (Reuter) Koerbach/Karbach's death certificate from FamilySearch

So, my 'oldest' family member that I can connect to by two degrees of separation is: Marya "Mary Ann" (Reuter) Karback/Koerback who was born on the 4th of May 4th 1825 in Germany in about 1850. I wrote about Mary Ann in a post titled "Aged Woman Answers Summons."

What I find most interesting about this challenge is this: my grandmother only died in 2004 and probably at least knew about her great grandmother if she didn't actually know her. What could she have told me that I didn't know to ask? It's a great reminder to talk to the oldest living members of our families!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net