Genealogists trace Palin’s roots to area
September 22, 2008
Godfrey, IL
Local Historian, Greg Trusty, is a self-proclaimed information nut. While watching Palin deliver a speech recently, he felt compelled to find out more about her.
Trusty discovered that Palin’s great-grandparents were married in Godfrey, Illinois and that the bride’s last name was Godfrey. Trusty’s discovery begged the question, “Is Sarah Palin related to Godfrey, Illinois’s founder, Benjamin Godfrey?”
The following is Palin’s believed family pathway leading to Benjamin Godfrey:
Palin (Heath)—daughter of Sarah “Sally” Sheeran and Charles Heath.
Sarah “Sally” Sheeran—daughter of Clement Sheeran and Helen Louise Gower.
Helen Louise Gower—daughter of “James” Carl Gower and Cora Strong.
Cora Strong—daughter of Homer Curtis Strong and Augusta “Gussie” Godfrey.
Augusta “Gussie” Godfrey—daughter of James Ryder Godfrey and Lodema Curtiss.
James Ryder Godfrey—son of Benjamin Godfrey.
Judy Hoffman, author of “God’s Portion: History of Godfrey 1817 – 1865,” used RootsWeb, an Internet genealogical resource, to verify the portion of lineage from Benjamin Godfrey to the Strong family.
Courthouse records are required to absolutely verify the complete family tree.
Godfrey, Illinois is about 35 miles northeast of St. Charles.
For full story, see:
Palin may have links to Godfrey
Are you a genealogy buff? See Sarah Palin’s roots here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/palin.htm
Another link: Godfrey, Illinois Website
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