Ben & Mary E. Titus - Genealogy Page

I started researching the Titus family genealogy in 1951 or 1952. I was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan then and working for Lear Incorporated as a Draftsman. I had married Helen Marie Hoffman of Chicago on September 17, 1949. Our first child Clifford Gordon Titus was born in Grand Rapids on November 19, 1951. As a result of Helen's pregnancy with Clifford, Helen had a relapse to Tuberculosis. It was our good fortune that Grand Rapids had an outstanding Tuberculosis Sanitarium and Helen was addmitted to Grand Rapids Sunshine Sanitarium. After Clifford was born his Grandmother Hoffman came from Chicago and took him home to Chicago where he lived for the first year of his life. I moved into the Grand Rapids YMCA. I found that I had a lot of time on my hands in the evenings after visiting Helen at the sanitarium I would visit the Ryerson Library next door to the YMCA. In the Ryerson Library I found a book entitled "Titus Family In America - Eleven Generations Of The Direct Line from Robert I to Dorothy M. Titus And Bursley H. Titus" compiled by
Dorothy M. Titus and edited by Percy Hobart Titus. That wonderful book fired my interest in the Titus Family genealogy. Years ago I learned that about five copies of that book were distributed in Libraries in the United States. I believe that one copy exists in the Sutro Library in San Francisco and I hope that one still exists in the Ryerson Library. The pictures in that book so resembled pictures of my Titus uncles and my one Titus aunt that I was astounded. The similarity and the constancy of Titus features still amazes me, even between members of widely separated Titus lines. I believe that using the Titus genealogy and the tools of DNA testing a very interesting study could be made. In 1989 I published a book entitled "Good Ole Bob!" which was a genealogy of my branch of the Titus family. The title refers to Robert Titus who many of us claim as our first ancestor to come to the colonies in America. I published 200 copies and most all of them have been sold or distributed in libraries. I have about 8 copies remaining. I made many errors and omissions in the book and I would like very much to put out a revised and expanded issue, but that is probably not likely. Now that I have a computer I could do a much better job. My interest in the family continues and I would like to correspond with anyone with similar interests. I am especially interested in the following sir names: Lesley/Leslie, Bowen, Woodcock, McQuone, McKee, Sprague,Wickland/Wicklund, Carr, Farmer, Aquino, Butz, Moore, Velasquez, Navarro, Pinaire, Struble, Huelskamp.

My Family History

• Surname List


• Index of Individuals


• InterneTree


• Sources

Books

• Book: Robert-Abiel-Abiel-Abiel-Silas-Stephen-Starr Titus

Family Photos

• Leslie Dress Tartan (4 KB)
  Grandmother Titus was a child of Samuel H. Lesley. Lesley is sometimes written as Leslie. This is my basis for claiming Scotish ancestory. Recently my sister Lowaine Farmer gave me a necktie made from the Leslie Tartan. I'm very proud of that tie.
• A picture of Mary and me - St. Mary's Directory (6 KB)
  Actually we are both better looking than this picture.

Family Tree Maker Reports and Trees

• InterneTree: Ben H Titus


• Genealogy Report: Descendants of Starr Titus


• Genealogy Report: Descendants of Thomas Bowen

Related Files

• Roster of the 84th Depot Repair Squadron (12 KB)
  These are the men that I served with in North Africa and Italy during World War II. I am posting the list here in the hopes of finding some of these men that we haven't been able to contact.

Related Links

• Bowen Family Tree by my cousin Patricia Jorn
• Misc. pictures of trips and family