Genealogy Archives - Curmudgeon Alley

2025/11/02

From Tompkinsville to Muskogee: A Unique Journey by David Marrs Rush

David Marrs Rush | February 19, 1931 – February 19, 2005

Author’s note:

I am writing this brief autobiography at the request of my son, David Stephen, who started a web site recently and wants content for it. Herein is my life story, told the way I experienced it and remembered it.

Editor’s note:

After my father passed away, I took his autobiography and had it printed up and copies distributed to various family members. I’ve taken this opportunity, years later, to put it on line. My father needed a pretext to write this document which I gave him… no not that thought out. I did take the liberty of adding a couple images.

The Early Years

I was born in Tompkinsville, KY on February 19, 1931 to Jack and Mary Rush. Since then, I have lived in many places and done myriad things, some I remember with pride, others with regret.

There were eight of us in the family: five sisters, Mickey Florene, Betty Jane, Jackie Nell, Virginia Gayle, Mary Sue; two brothers, Jimmy Earl and Joseph Michael, and of course me. Joseph Michael was born after I left home for the Navy. Mickie died in infancy on March 20, 1930. She was approximately six months old. Jim died February 13, 1989 in Louisville, KY at the age of 45. Jim served in the Army during the Korean War and when discharged attended college and dental school. He was a practicing dentist in Louisville at the time of his death.

I can’t recall a great deal about my life while growing up except for a few incidents, which are burned into my memory. When I was four or five we had a baby chicken for a pet. His name was Continue reading “From Tompkinsville to Muskogee: A Unique Journey by David Marrs Rush”

2023/07/192023/08/25

Not a Weak One in the Bunch

One of my family members put together this pictorial essay of the “Carr Sisters” to pass out at the inaugural reunion of sailors who served on the USS Carr, FFG-52. Their first reunion was in the hometown of Paul Henry Carr, Checotah, Oklahoma, and the descendants of my mother’s parents were very involved and part of the reunion also.

The top picture includes Continue reading “Not a Weak One in the Bunch”

2023/04/202023/04/21

More Genealogy Silliness – Presidents

What triggered this latest round of silliness was that I was watching a Wondrium (formerly Great Courses) course, America’s Founding Fathers. On the class about one of my early idols, Thomas Jefferson, it mentioned that his mother was Jane Randolph. The brother just younger than me is named Paul Randolph. The Paul is after our Uncle Paul of USS Carr fame. I am not recalling the provenance of his middle name right now, but my father’s side of the family will occasionally use the family name of one branch or another for a middle name. For instance, my father’s middle name was Marrs. All this started me wondering about a connection to Jane Randolph and sent me to FamilySearch.org, the genealogy site ran by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka the Mormons. Stayed tuned.

A few thoughts before I delve deeper.

First, this blog posting will most likely be of more interest to the handful of my relatives that read my blog.

Secondly the Mormon genealogy site is very well administered. I am sure that the Mormon portion is meticulous in its research. The portion open Continue reading “More Genealogy Silliness – Presidents”

2023/03/122023/03/12

My 11th Great Aunt – Pocahontas

A while back I signed up on the Mormon genealogy site, FamilySearch.org. It is free, and has a ton of contributors. Of course, like any crowd source data, it is not free of errors…and on occasion I have thought wishful thinking. However, both sides of my family have been in this country since Europeans first step foot on these shores. This is especially true on my father’s side that has many tentacles traceable to very ancient European and British Isle ancestors.

I had stumbled across this connection by myself, but FamilySearch sent me an email about connections to famous people, including Continue reading “My 11th Great Aunt – Pocahontas”

2023/02/262023/03/12

Family Reunion Time???

I recently joined FamilySearch.org, a genealogy site ran by the Mormons aka The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-Day Saints. It is really a wonderful genealogy tool and free… at least I have not stumbled across anything I need to pay for.

Several genealogy sites/organizations have joined together and are having a RootsTech conference, both physically and virtually March 2nd and 3rd. I have been receiving emails about it with the snippet above from one coming in yesterday.

While the vast majority of my cousins are wonderful souls, 14,626 might be a little overwhelming! And given my semi-hermit introverted nature, ¡Ay caramba!

The derriere you see running away from the mass of 14,626 is mine. Insert your favorite smiley face here.

And so it goes.

2023/01/242024/04/30

Genealogical Craziness

This may be of more interest to family members than others, but here goes.

My first name, David, is after my father, who is also a David.

My middle name is Stephen, as in Stephen Fuller Austin, one of the founding fathers of Texas for whom the state capital is named. The family legend was that he was my great, great… uncle. However, no hard evidence had ever been presented for this relationship, and years ago I chalked it up to family mythology.

During his retirement my father starting doing genealogy, not only on his side of the family, but also on my mother’s. Turns out there is Continue reading “Genealogical Craziness”

2023/01/192023/03/12

Genealogical Conundrum

For reasons unclear to me I had my y-chromosome and mtDNA tested, reckon I found some money laying in the street. I had had my autosomal tested a while back which was interesting, but did not tell me a lot. Given that my immediate and personal DNA dies with me – my DNA is nothing special, so no big loss to humanity- I am not quite sure why I am so interested in the genealogy. Probably the history fascinates me.

The autosomal DNA is just general DNA. Y-chromosome is specific for the paternal line. mtDNA is specific for maternal line. For me, the y-chromosome shows mostly British isles followed by Germany and Italy.

Almost immediately after they ran and posted Continue reading “Genealogical Conundrum”

2018/10/172023/03/12

Rush: Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father by Stephen Fried

I’ve been fascinated by Benjamin Rush ever since as a grade schooler, I realized that there was a signature on the Declaration of Independence with the same last name as mine, Rush. Rush is not the commonest of last names. Of course, I fantasized that he might be a direct ancestor or other relation. At that time there had not been a lot of genealogy done on my family. Since then I have discovered that we are related, not closely, but related. We are 3^rd cousins 6 generations removed. We share a common ancestor, Capt. John “Old Trooper” Rush. What is interesting about John Rush is that he was a captain in Oliver Cromwell’s army. If you remember your English history, Cromwell briefly established a republic in Great Britain in the 1650s. Capt. Rush later immigrated to the Pennsylvania colony.