Check IT out ~ Stephen King

I work in a public library. 

Check it out is part of my everyday language. 

While shelving the other day I was pondering the phrase CHECK IT OUT, and then I looked at the book in my hand - next I thought check IT out. The book in my hand was a trade paperback copy of Stephen King's IT.  

I couldn't actually check it out because there is a long hold list on it plus I read it many years ago. 

First written in 1986 this book is still super popular. All of his books continue to circulate with long lists of people waiting for their turn. 

As I continued shelving I got to wondering if I am related to Stephen King. That night after work I visited Stephen King's page on famouskin.com  where I discovered we are related by marriage. 

The cue/connection is through Meghan Markle who I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. Meghan & I are 10th cousins - she and Stephen are 8th cousin 2x removed. 

Stephen King & I are 7th cousin 1x removed of husband of 7th cousin 3x removed - he & I are related by marriage.

Our family connection took place on September 5th 1907 in Gilford, New Hampshire, USA when Gertrude & Fred got married.

My 7th cousin 3x removed (via my mother's maternal line), 
Gertrude May Merrill
BIRTH 16 JUN 1887 • Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire, USA
DEATH 11 JAN 1938 • Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire, USA

married Stephen King's, 7th cousin 1x removed,
Frederick George (Fred) Sanders BIRTH 10 JULY 1873 • Lakeport, Belknap County, New Hampshire, USA DEATH 8 JULY 1944 • Concord, Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA

The descendants through this couple are related to both of us.

While trying to find the sourced connections to add Stephen King's ancestors to my tree this historical fiction book appeared. 

I was not able to find a copy of the  book above in my library system. I found the book below available through our interlibrary loan department. These two books are historical fiction written about the amazing tale of a 3 (or 4) year old girl lost for 4 days in the wilderness where she was cared for by a bear. 

When searchers found her sleeping alone in a bear's den she told the tale of being cared for by the bear.   

Her story has been told over the years, and has been written about in two book: Sarah Whitcher’s Story, by Elizabeth Yates, and The Bear That Heard Crying, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey.   

   *** If you want to learn more about Sarah (Sally) Whitcher check the sources below***

This little girl is Stephen King's 4th cousin 4x removed via his maternal line. She is my great-grandmother of husband of 7th cousin 3x removed.

Sarah (Sally) Whitcher
BIRTH 8 APR 1778 • Brentwood, Rockingham, New Hampshire, USA
DEATH 1868 • Wentworth, Grafton, New Hampshire, USA

While researching Stephen King's ancestors I discovered he & the Western Author Louis L'Amour are 9th cousins. 

Could these two authors be any different?

This is beyond amusing trivia. 

I shall trot it out at the next library professional development event. 

Collecting amusing antidotes from your connections to share with all those who really have no interest in hearing them!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

Family Relationship of Stephen King to Louis L'Amour. Stephen King Genealogy. Famous Kin. Retrieved April 7th 2022 from 
https://famouskin.com/famous-kin-chart.php?name=19325+stephen+king&kin=32543+louis+lamour&via=30208+henry+sherburne

Famous Kin of Stephen King. Stephen King Genealogy. Famous Kin. Retrieved April 7th 2022 from https://famouskin.com/famous-kin-menu.php?name=19325+stephen+king

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie and Helen Kinsey. The bear that heard crying. New York : Scholastic, 1998, ©1993

New Hampshire’s Sarah Whitcher Meets a Bear in 1783. New England Historical Society. Retrieved April 7th 2022 from
https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/new-hampshires-sarah-whitcher-meets-bear-1783-2/

Reuben Whittier (Whitcher). Family Tree. Geneanet. Retrieved April 7th 2022 from https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?n=whittier&oc=2&p=reuben&type=tree

Sarah Whitcher Sally. Geneanet. Retrieved April 7th 2022 from 
https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&pz=susanna&nz=x&ocz=60160&p=sarah&n=whitcher

Sarah Whitcher. View famous kin of Sarah Whitcher. Ancestry of Meghan Markle. Family Group. Meghan Markle Genealogy. Famous Kin. Retrieved April 7th 2022 from https://famouskin.com/family-group.php?name=80923+meghan+markle&ahnum=85

Yates, Elizabeth. Sarah Whitcher's Story. New York, E.P. Dutton [1971]

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

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