Past Resident Comes Home to Rest

Winnie Lapp, 104, of Elk Grove, Calif., died April 23, 2008. Graveside services are scheduled for May 7, 2008, 2 p.m. at the St. Vincent Cemetery, St. Vincent.

I ran across the above obituary online last Friday. I immediately passed it on to the Gamble family descendents since I knew that some of the family had intermarried with the Lapp family. It turns out they had lost track of that family line and had no idea that one of the older generation was still alive. They were blown away, as was I!

From Alice:

I found the connection on my tree. Who would have thought there would be 2 Winnie Lapps in the same generation? This Winnie Lapp who just passed on was married to Sam Lapp, the son of Ellen Gamble and Richard H. Lapp. The Winnie Lapp that I thought she was was the actual daughter of Ellen Gamble and Richard H. Lapp...Thank you, again, for sending me this obit. It has opened up a conversation with a nephew of Winnie's and I have asked him to pass along my e-mail address to two others that he keeps in touch with - one a Gamble and one a Griffith! I just love making these connections, not only to meet new and alive people I'm related to, but also with the hopes that someone out there has the answer to my brick walls!

From Lori, comes this:

Conclusion seems to be the same, that this Winnie Lapp was married to Samuel Lapp, son of Ellen Gamble Lapp & Richard Lapp -- who also had a sister named Winnie (I think that's the Winnie in the photo with Mary Ann, Alexander, Willy & Sam that you sent to me, Alice). Yep, Winnies, Sams & Richards seem to abound in the Lapp family, just as Alices, Alexanders, Leslies, Williams, etc., abound in ours! lol

I have to say, it is one of the best moments when I can help family make connections...and all because of a little town named St. Vincent that we all have in common.