Hello and Welcome to V Day!
Name:
Valeria Jocko
Vital Information:
Valeria was born on 28 November 1845 in Jericho, Vermont. She died on 14 May 1918 in Thetford, Vermont.
Relation to Me:
Valeria is my paternal 3x great grandma.
Tidbits/Characteristics/Commonalities:
Valeria married Henry Gill and was the mother of Cora, who tragically died at the tender age of 20 giving birth to my great grandpa, Philetus. I believe she had two other children as well, a daughter and a son.
In looking at Valeria’s life, there is much still to uncover and while she lived a full life of 73 years, it seems as though many of those years were full of grief. In addition to losing Cora in 1894, she also lost:
- Her father, Joseph, in 1899
- Her son, Henry, in 1913 to a farming accident
- Her mother, Hannah, in 1916
- Her husband, Henry, though I haven’t been able to verify the date of his death yet.
She then died suddenly, possibly of Meningitis, in 1918.
In all the years in between, however, she raised and cared for her grandson, my great grandpa, Philetus. So, I’d like to think that, despite the grief she carried with her, the young life she cared for carried her through the hardest of days and to her final resting place.
In Your Research…
Have you found family members who cared for or raised grandchildren or other extended family members due to the inability or death of a parent (or both parents)?
Housekeeping
My theme for the 2025 A to Z Challenge is Kin! The first names of direct lineage kin, to be more specific.
I’m spending the majority of the month focusing on the first names of many of my direct lineage kin. I’ll include their full names, any vital information I’ve found in my research, their relation to me, any fun tidbits/characteristics/experiences, and any commonalities I may have gleaned between myself and them.
In a couple of cases, where I have not identified an ancestor whose first name starts with a particular letter, I will choose a unique middle name, a direct line surname, and/or ancestral lands/places of significance.
Pop over here to read my full theme reveal: A to Z 2025 Challenge Theme Reveal: Kin
Pop over here to visit our host and see what they’re up to throughout this year’s challenge: A to Z Challenge
If you’re visiting from the A to Z Challenge please leave a comment so I can visit you, too! If your comment bio doesn’t link back to your site, please feel free to add the link to your most recent post to the comment field so I can be sure to find you.
Thanks for being here! See you again soon!
Onward,
Melissa
She died in 1918? Wasn’t that right around the time of the Spanish flu epidemic?
It was. I know that at first the doctors didn’t really know what they were dealing with, but I’d guess if she had the flue she would have had all the symptoms. I do have women in my line who survived the Spanish Flu, though!
If her mother Hannah died in 1916 she must have been aged.
I have found grandchildren enumerated with grandparents but because the parents were often living down the road, I’m not sure if they were actually living there or just happened to be there when the census worker came around.
Quite aged, indeed. I don’t have a birth year for her though, so there’s no telling how old…yet 😉