David 8.0

When Spud's Virginia grandparents were here last weekend, we took a picture of 3 generations of David Chadwicks. Spud is at least the 8th David in a row! As far back as we can trace that particular branch of the family tree.

Here's David Benjamin (8), David John (7), and David James (6):



And here are some more Davids. This was taken circa 1970-ish at Spud's great-great grandparent's house in Sumner, Iowa. That's David James and David John again, along with David Earl (5) and another David Earl (4).



I'm just getting warmed up! More paleo-Davids (thanks Grandpa David #6 for the pictures)!

(3) Jason David Chadwick, born in 1856 in Cold Spring, WI (Spud's great-great-great Grandpa); stone mason, quarryman. And the black sheep of the chain o' Davids, because he went with a non-David first name. As you can see from his wife's (what was her name?) wedding-day expression, nothing is more joyous than marrying a David Chadwick!



(2) David Chadwick born 1814 or 1815 in Owatonna, MN (Spud's great-great-great-great Grandpa); Farmer, postmaster. Just David.



(1) David Michael Chadwick, born between 1780 and 1785 (Spud's great-great-great-great-great Grandpa). I don't suppose there's a picture of this one...

I thought long and hard about giving Spud his David as a first name, as opposed to a middle name like Jason David. It's actually kind of a pain in the backside. I had to correct all of my teachers every year on the first day of school.

Teacher (calling roll): "David Chadwick"?

John: "Here. Um, it's John."

Teacher (blinks, stares at roll): "It says David."

John: "That's my first name."

Teacher: "So that IS your name."

John: "What."

Teacher: "David."

John: "Yes. But I go by John. My middle name."

Teacher: "What?"

John: "What? John."

Teacher (has now identified first problem student of the year): "I see."

The other kids could just say "Here" and be done with it, slipping back safely into anonymity. Me, I had to have a complex discussion with the teacher. The teacher would then search for a pen to make the change to the roll, giving my classmates enough time to stare derisively at the annoying talky kid that doesn't go by his first name.

I'm hoping to someday peer further back down the road to discover Spud's even more ancient ancestors, including those on the Jordan and Macdonald and Grimm branches as well. Hey grandparents! Send pictures! Spud will hear the story of his family history from us. He will probably be sooo bored by it when I discuss it with him when he's about 9 years old, and he'll totally ignore it when he's 15. But it will get in, and when he's 28, maybe he'll really like knowing where his roots are.