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Writer's pictureJo Beth Boyles

My Northern roots-

As the anniversary of my grandparents, March 3rd and the birthday of my grandmother approach, I am doing a little research on our Granny BoBo. Her married name was Brewer and the family lore is that the first grandchild could not say Brewer so she became BoBo. When you read this facts of her early life it is sad. However, if you ever knew her, she was filled with joy. Always whistling, reading or sewing. She walked a lot even in her older years. She called Walter Cronkite her tv boyfriend as she watched the news. She made the best lemon pound cake and enjoyed orange sherbet from Mayberry's. She played the guitar in her youth and her young adult years she was in the Salvation Army playing the tambourine on street corners in Winston-Salem.




Her 9th great grand father was Captain Anthony Austin

1636–1708

BIRTH MAR 1636 • Bishopstocke, Hampshire, England DEATH 22 AUG 1708 • Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States


Her 10th great grand father was possibly the first in our line to come to the New World.

Richard Austin

1598–1638

BIRTH 16 MAY 1598 • Titchfield, Bishopstoke, Hamp, England DEATH DEC 1638 • Charelston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.


DNA testing show me to have 23% Scottish Heritage. The Austins were from England but Austins is part of Clan Keith of Scottish Hertiage.


I will go into the Austin genealogy with another blog post. With this I want to focus on my grandmother.


She was born in Laconia , New Hampshire. Her parents were George Bullard Austin and Ida Augusta Goss. In 1900 the family lived at 368 Pleasant Street in Laconia. The home was rented and my great grandfather is listed as a salesman.


He was born in New Jersey, his father in New York and his mother was the one with the New Hampshire roots. Peterborough, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, is the birthplace of my great great grandmother, Abby Arathusia Bullard Austin.



Gertrude Austin was the fourth child born to her parents. Zilla B Austin was the oldest sister and lived until 1963.



Carl Gilmore Austin

1889–1895

BIRTH 19 AUG 1889 • Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire, USA DEATH 12 DEC 1895 • Laconia, New Hamphire


My understanding tis that all four children came down with diphtheria in the winter of 1895. Zilla and Gertrude would survive but Carl and baby George would die. The brothers are buried together.


Another sister is buried in the same cemetery. Alice Austin was born in 1891 and died at age 3 months.


The mother of these children would die at age 40 of pneumonia My grandmother was 8 years old and her sister was around 15.


My great grandfather could have been bitter in all this grief. However this little family will continue. He will dedicate his life to helping others as so will my grandmother.



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