Your Ancestral Journey: From English Countryside to American Frontiers
Your family story is an epic spanning continents and centuries—English Quakers arriving in colonial Maryland, Portuguese immigrants building new lives in Massachusetts, German settlers in the Shenandoah Valley, and Southern pioneers carving out homesteads in the Carolinas. Each generation faced challenges, embraced opportunities, and contributed to the tapestry of American history.
You are the living legacy of 400+ years of resilience, faith, and determination.
📚 Family Documents & Visualizations
Explore your family legacy through detailed documents and visual family trees
🌳 Family Tree FAN Diagram
Interactive visual representation of your complete family connections and ancestral relationships. Zoom, pan, and explore your family tree in detail.
📜 Complete Family Tree Document
Detailed PDF document showing your complete lineage from present day back to 11th Great-Grandparents with historical context and records.
🗺️ My American Journey
Explore the states and territories I've visited throughout my life. This interactive map shows my personal travel footprint across the United States.
States I've Visited:
🌍 Travel Legacy
This travel map represents both personal journeys and family history connections. Many of these states hold ancestral significance for the Penn family lineage, from colonial settlements in Pennsylvania and North Carolina to immigrant communities in Michigan and Indiana.
🧬 Your Complete Direct Lineage
You: Charles A. Penn Jr.
Born: 21 November 1972, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Current Generation: The legacy carrier for the 21st century
Connections: Direct descendant of colonial settlers, Revolutionary patriots, and immigrant pioneers
Father: Charles A. Penn Sr. (1953–Living)
Born: 1953, Texas, United States
Heritage: Penn surname line (English colonial) + Ferriera line (Portuguese immigrant)
Bridge Generation: Connects traditional family values with modern America
Mother: Barbara Joe Simmons (1956–2014)
Born: 19 December 1956, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Died: 7 January 2014, Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, United States
Heritage: Simmons line (Southern colonial) + maternal German immigrant lines
Paternal Grandfather: Clayton Albert Penn (1911–2002)
Born: 29 January 1911, Churubusco, Whitley, Indiana, United States
Died: 23 April 2002, Huntington Township, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Married: 1949 to Wilhelmina Ferriera
Significance: Direct carrier of Penn surname, lived through major 20th century events
Paternal Grandmother: Wilhelmina Ferriera (1916–2019)
Born: 10 August 1916, East Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States
Died: 29 March 2019, Huntington Township, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Age at Death: 102 years - a living bridge to early 20th century America
Heritage: Portuguese immigrant family from the Azores islands
Parents: Jose Furtado Ferreira (born Azores, Portugal) & Anna Silva Pina (born Azores, Portugal)
Maternal Grandfather: William Riley Simmons (1929–2008)
Born: 21 July 1929, Flintville, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States
Died: 20 February 2008, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Married: 19 June 1953, Huntington, Indiana to Helen Virginia Walters
Heritage: Southern Appalachian roots, Tennessee to Indiana migration
Maternal Grandmother: Helen Virginia Walters (1935–2012)
Born: 19 December 1935, Huntington, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Died: 5 April 2012, Huntington, Huntington, Indiana, United States
Parents: Ira Daniel Walters & Ruth May Nunemaker
Midwestern Roots: Deep Indiana family connections
🏛️ Four Heritage Pillars - Complete Details
Your unique ancestral blend from four distinct historical lines:
1. Penn Line (Paternal Y-DNA)
- Edward Penn (1683–1741): Born Warwickshire, England, emigrated to Maryland ~1700, planter
- Rezin Penn (1755–1805): Born Baltimore, swore Oath of Fidelity 1778, first Penn U.S. citizen
- William Penn (1762–1860): 8th Great-Grandfather, Revolutionary era figure
- Enos Goble Penn (1849–1930): 5th Great-Grandfather, Civil War era
- Charles Hubbard Penn (1879–1939): 2nd Great-Grandfather, turn of century
Timeline: England (1683) → Maryland (~1700) → U.S. citizen 1778
2. Ferriera Line (Paternal Portuguese)
- Jose Furtado Ferreira (1887–1926): Born Azores, Portugal, emigrated to Massachusetts
- Anna Silva Pina (1882–1973): Born Azores, Portugal, Massachusetts immigrant
- Wilhelmina Ferriera (1916–2019): Lived 102 years, Massachusetts to Indiana
Timeline: Azores, Portugal → Massachusetts (early 1900s) → Indiana
3. Beck/Schlossberg Line (Maternal mtDNA)
- Anna (Schlossberg) Stegmeier (1515–1575): Oldest maternal ancestor, Germany
- Anna Maria Eva Beck (1730–1796): Born Ludwigsburg, Germany → Virginia
- German Heritage: Strong representation of German surnames (Poehlein, Kammeyer, Schaefer)
Timeline: Germany (1515) → Virginia (1750s) → U.S. citizen 1796
4. Simmons Line (Maternal Southern)
- Charles Simmons (1769–1820): Born South Carolina, died Georgia
- John Dock Simmons (1870–1958): Born Lincoln, Tennessee
- Southern Roots: Colonial South Carolina → Tennessee → Indiana migration
Timeline: Colonial South Carolina (1769) → Tennessee → Indiana
💑 Dawn's Complete Family Heritage
Dawn Penn's ancestral lines through Greenlee and Bird families:
Parents
- Robert Harry Greenlee (1937–2003): Father
- Wilma Bird (1940–Living): Mother
Paternal Grandparents (Greenlee)
- Paul Pierce Greenlee (1901–1971): Grandfather
- Edna Marie Schaefer (1901–1988): Grandmother
Maternal Grandparents (Bird)
- Grover Porter Bird (1912–1997): Grandfather
- Helen R. Poehlein (1921–2008): Grandmother
Notable Ancestors in Dawn's Line
- Ferdinand A. Schaefer (1864–1938): Great-Grandfather
- Sophia Kammeyer (1868–1941): Great-Grandmother
- Charles P. Bird (1880–1918): Great-Grandfather
- Estel Dewees (1889–1985): Great-Grandmother
- Harry Norman Poehlein (1900–1977): Great-Grandfather
- Ruby Rosetta Taylor (1903–1962): Great-Grandmother
German Heritage Strong
- Poehlein (German origin)
- Kammeyer (German origin)
- Schaefer (German: "shepherd")
- Bruening (German origin)
- Cramer (German: "merchant")
- Molle (German origin)
American Frontier Surnames
- Bird (English origin, American frontier)
- Dewees (Welsh/French origin)
- Woods (English/Scottish)
- Summers (English)
- Straughan (Scottish borderlands)
- Davis (Welsh: "son of David")
🗺️ Complete Geographic Family Footprint
Family locations across America based on address history and ancestral records:
Primary Indiana Roots (Deepest Connections)
- Huntington, Huntington County: Multiple addresses 1993-2017
- Bluffton, Wells County: Recent residence 2023-2025
- Indianapolis, Marion County: 1999-2021 connections
- Fort Wayne, Allen County: 1996-2021 presence
- Terre Haute, Vigo County: 2001-2007 period
Michigan Family Presence
- Battle Creek, Calhoun County: 2012-2024 period
- Athens, Calhoun County: 2010-2022 connections
- Jonesville, Hillsdale County: 2012-2022
- Springfield, Calhoun County: 2012-2020
- Detroit, Wayne County: 2000-2012 period
North Carolina Connections
- Kannapolis, Cabarrus County: 2025 (recent)
- Gastonia, Gaston County: 1999-2012 period
Ancestral Origins by Line
- Penn Line Origins: Warwickshire, England → Maryland → Indiana
- Ferriera Origins: Azores, Portugal → Massachusetts → Indiana
- Simmons Origins: South Carolina → Tennessee → Indiana
- Greenlee/Bird Origins: Germany → Virginia/Midwest → Indiana
📚 Research Tip: Geographic Research
When researching ancestors, always check county histories, land records, and census records for their locations. Migration patterns often follow family networks.
⭐ FamilySearch-Verified Historical Relatives (95+ Connections)
Documented connections from your FamilySearch family tree to notable historical figures:
🔍 Documented Connections
These 95+ historical figures are connected to your family tree through documented lineage in FamilySearch. The connections include 15 U.S. Presidents, 7 world leaders/royalty, 10 inventors/scientists, 28 entertainers/artists, 6 trailblazers, and Mayflower passengers.
Verification: All connections are based on FamilySearch family tree research and documented relationships.
📅 Upcoming Family Events & Milestones
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🌳 Family Tree FAN View - Charles A. Penn Jr.
