This family history was sent to my Larry McKenzie's mother 
Carol Shiirrmacher McKenzie Hogue several years ago by her uncle Larry. 
Her grandmother was Cardera Estelle Bissell.
William Ward was born in England in 1603 and came to America in the 
spring of 1639 with his wife and five children. Eight more Children 
were born in Sudbury, Mass. The children's names were: John, Joanna, 
Obadiah, Richard, Debora, Hanna, Samuel, Elizabeth, Hopestill, Increase,
William, Eleazear and Bethiah. William the eleventh child married 
Hannah Brigham Eames August 4, 1679. Their son Nahum married his 
second cousin Martha Howe and they had a son Artemus born in 
Shrewsbury, Mass November 26, 1727. He married Sara Trowbridge 
July 31, 1750 at Croton, Mass. She was the daughter of 
Rev. Caleb Trowbridge and Hannah Dexter Trowbridge. Of direct 
maternal descent from Increase Mather and John Cotton Mather. 
Artemas Ward graduated from Harvard College in 1748. He was Captain 
in The French and Indian War. After it's termination he was a member 
of the Mass legislature and of the common council. Then was a judge 
of the court of common pleas. He was in charge of the Continental Army 
from the beginning of the Revolutionary War April 19, 1775 until the 
appointment of George Washington. 
In the list made out by congress he was placed next to 
George Washington and as a Brigadier General was placed by 
Washington over the right wing of the army at Roxbury during the siege 
of Boston. His statue stands in Washington and his jeweled sword is in 
Boston. The next spring in ill health he resigned his commission and 
there after died on Oct 28, 1800. The eight children of Artemas Ward 
and Sara Trowbridge Ward were Stamore, Nahum, Sara, Thomas, Martha, 
Artemas, Maria and Henry. All born in Shrewsbury, Mass. Artemas 
married Hannah Perry June 17, 1789. They had four children Lydia, 
and Ruth born in Charlton, Mass and Artemas and Hanna born in 
New York State. Ruth married Norman Bissell and they had nine children 
May Ann. Amos, Margaret, Althea, Norman, Artemas, Edna, Pamela and 
Celia. Norman married Olivia Babcock and lived in Milford New York. 
They had three children Artemas Bissell (Raymond's father)(Here is 
where it is confusing. as this was written by Raymond Alden Bissell 
my husbands mother's grandmothers half brother and refers to himself 
as I) born Jan 19, 1847. He graduated from Princeton University in the 
class of 1873. He was admitted to the bar in the state of New York and 
was at one time the superintendent of New York's cancer hospital and a 
newspaper-advertising executive. He married Nettie Estelle Sage 
daughter of Andrew Sage of New Berlin, New York. They had two children 
Cardera Estelle and Norman Artemas. After his wife's death he married 
Mary Emma Dickinson Lum a widow with whom he had one child Raymond 
Alden Bissell (The author of this history) born Jan 15, 1909. Raymond 
Alden Bissell married Elizabeth Irvina Weston Nov 10, 1934. 
They had two sons Raymond Ward Bissell and Robin Weston Bissell. 
Raymond Ward Bissell married Laurice Ann Vandermere in Feb 1962. 
They have two adopted children Mark Weston Bissell and Katherine 
Eileen Bissell. Robin Weston Bissell married Sandra Lee Moore. 
They have three Children Stephanie Lee Bissell born Feb 20, 1963 
Jill Elizabeth Bissell born June 20 1964 and Robin Christopher 
Bissell born June 2, 1968
I hope this doesn't leave you with a headache. It's kind of 
confusing because there are so many Normans and Artemases etc.