DESCENDANTS IN FIVE GENERATIONS 



Equaling the achievements of the Shrake Family, the Passes present another peculiar case 

 where longevity combined with early marriage and child bearing produced six living genera- 

 tions. It is peculiar that in both these instances, the transmission was entirely through 

 the mothers. Photograph by courtesy of Dr. George M. Gould and American Medicine 

 (Fig. 12.) 



Mrs. Lydia Thomas Ault Shrake was 

 the oldest living member. The follow- 

 ing details have been gleaned from 

 newspapers, family letters, and fellow 

 citizens and acquaintances of the family 

 who were residents of Wyalusing, Grant 

 County, Wisconsin, about five years 

 before the death of Mrs. Shrake. 



Mrs. Lydia Thomas Ault Shrake was 

 born in Cornelsville, Pennsylvania, in 

 1814. At the age of eighteen she married 

 William Ault. Five children were born. 

 Mr. Ault died in 1839, and two years 

 later Mrs. Ault married Jacob Shrake. 

 Again five children were born. " Grand- 

 ma Shrake " sent five sons to fight in the 

 Civil War. 



Margaret Ault Elder was born in 1835 

 and married at the age of fifteen, and, 

 at the date of this quoted report had 

 borne ten children, seven of whom were 

 living. 



Rachel Elder Goff was born in 1851 

 and married at the age of seventeen. 

 She was the mother of twelve children. 



seven of whom were living at the time 

 of the report sent to me. 



Melissa Goff Spaulding, born in 1873, 

 married at fifteen, became the mother of 

 three living children. 



Cora Spaulding GuUey was born 1891, 

 married at the age of fifteen, and had one 

 child. 



Agnes Elder Goff Spaulding Gulley 

 was born August 5, 1908. 



COMPETITION BETWEEN FAMILIES 



Mr. Brookens of Bloomington, Wis- 

 consin, wrote in 1909 that he photo- 

 graphed five generations of the Cooley 

 family, "the eldest lady in this case 

 being about ninety years old." " It was 

 a tie between the Shrakes and the 

 Cooleys. No one ever thought that 

 either family would be able to produce 

 the sixth generation before the chain 

 was broken ; but the young Miss Spauld- 

 ing married a young Mr. Gulley, and 

 with only a few weeks to spare brought 

 forth the baby which has made the 

 family renowned." 



133 



