My Finnerty Family
My tree follows:[email protected]
I have a rare neurological disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA). It is both inherited and degenerative. It is caused by a recessive gene, so both of my parents carry that gene. None of my known relatives have this disease. Please email me at [email protected] if you have knowledge of someone in my line having FA.
My paternal Grandmother was a Hicks. Two other families who have members with FA that also descend from a Hicks have been found. Unfortunately, no link has been found between their lines and mine. A similar situation has occurred with the Reynolds family.
The symptoms of Friedreich’s Ataxia usually begin between the ages of 5 and 15. The first symptom to appear is usually difficulty in walking. It gradually worsens until the person is unable to walk. Foot deformities may be early signs. Over time, muscles begin to weaken and waste away, especially in the feet, lower legs, and hands. There is often a gradual loss of sensation in the extremities, which may spread to other parts of the body. Slowness and slurring of the speech develop. Rapid, rhythmic, involuntary movements of the eye are common. Most people with FA develop scoliosis (a curving of the spine to one side). Various forms of heart disease may develop. Some people lose their hearing or eyesight as well.
As you can see, the symptoms of FA vary widely. Finding ancestors who had FA may be difficult. When both parents carry the FA gene, there is a 1 in 4 chance with each child that that child will have the disease. There is a 2 in 4 chance that that child will be a carrier of the FA gene and not exhibit the disease. Thus, many generations can be skipped before the disease appears.
To further complicate the situation, these ancestors probably lived a long time ago when medical knowledge was scarce. As such, they probably died young. However, it stands to reason that they must have lived long enough to have children and continue passing on the FA gene. I cannot predict how they could have recorded information about these people. When people with FA can still walk they stagger around something like a drunk. I was even accused of being drunk (in 1976) when I was a teenager. It must have been worse for those with FA decades ago when ignorance was more common.
Descendants of Thomas Finnerty
1 Thomas Finnerty - 1883
.. +Mahala Sarshel Jane Ashcraft 1846 - 1915
......... 2 Missouri Belle Finerty 1868 - 1938
............. +George M. Roby
......... *2nd Husband of Missouri Belle Finerty:
............. +George Washington Hicks 1859 - 1931
.................... 3 Arthur D. Hicks 1888 - 1940
........................ +Clara Hofmann 1882 -
.................... 3 William E. Hicks 1891 - 1966
........................ +Electa 1900 - 1930
............................... 4 Richard Hicks
.................... *2nd Wife of William E. Hicks:
........................ +Lelia Elizabeth Barnes 1897 - 1936
............................... 4 Geraldine D.Hicks 1915 - 1979
................................... +Lewis Henry Strode 1906 - 2004
........................................... 5 Alma Lee Strode 1933 - 2002
............................................... +Davis
........................................... 5 William Lewis Strode 1936 - 1985
............................................... +Geraldine Marie Johnson 1939 -
...................................................... 6 Susan Strode
........................................... 5 Curtis Strode 1940 -
............................... *2nd Husband of Geraldine D.Hicks:
................................... +Earl Pritchard
.................... 3 Helen Z. Hicks 1899 -
........................ +Leo F. Friel 1884 -
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Re: My Finnerty Family
janet hutchison 9/16/10