While doing genealogy I ran into the term “daughtered out” and realized that term defined what happened to the Neals who descend from Kenneth and Ruby Neal.
This was especially important in passing along a family surname or inheritable property. If your father had only daughters, his line was daughtered out. Or if your father had only sisters, or brothers who all failed to produce male children, those daughters would lose their original surname when they got married.
Kenneth and Ruby Neal had two sons and three daughters who grew to adulthood and produced children. Both Dad (Warren) and Uncle Bill had two daughters and no sons.
Both brothers served as pilots during World War II, returned to find farms to buy (three miles apart in NW Madison County, Iowa, south of Dexter), and never talked about the war. (Dad was an advanced instructor until near the end of the war, but Uncle Bill flew thirteen missions “over the Hump.”)
Most of the pictures we girls are in are with more “Neal cousins,” (with last names of Wells, Shepherd, and Beaman). I’m the oldest. Judy was born before her dad could get back from India and the Red Cross hadn’t reached him to let him know he had a baby girl. Jane and Gloria will turn 80 next July.
We Neal girls were used to being mixed up with each other. Gloria even went by her middle name (Jean), which made it more confusing.
When I was working on Meadowlark Songs, I couldn’t find anything about a family being “sonned out”–ending a motherline with only a son, like ours is. Guess it’s not a big deal inheritance-wise anymore.
Love the photo of you singing lovelies! And thank you for the explanation about “daughtered out”. I understand some nuggets in family genealogy better now. But I’ve gotta say – while I get it, it sure sounds dismissive of we girls! 😉❤️😉
Thank you, Vicki. Men were the landowners and voters back then. I suppose they thought women weren’t to concern themselves with such things.
Truly! Important truths from history. Your posts always make me think…touch my heart. Sending big hugs to you this morning. 🥰❤️🥰
Bless you, Vicki. Hugs back!
Got ‘em! 🥰
Whoa, Your Uncle Bill must have been one excellent pilot! Way too many died going over the hump!!
Terrific post, Joy!
Yes, and he never mentioned it. Thanks, GP.
Did your father train him?
No, and I don’t have a record of his training bases. One was in Nebraska.
I’d never heard the term “daughtered out” before. I wonder if some women’s keeping their maiden names changes things?
I’ll bet it’s changed some thinking, especially about legal issues!
I would hope so!
Lovely photo of all of you singing! I had never heard of the term ‘daughtered out’. Very interesting post!!! 🙂
Thank you, Linda. We didn’t win, but hey, we participated!
I don’t care for the term “daughtered out.” The implication, intentional or not, is that there is something wrong with having girls. Our family tends to have a majority of males. My parents had four boys. We had just the one child (boy), and I have three nephews and only one niece.
Pete. I wonder if it was a legal term back in the day.
I enjoyed the post, Joy.
Thank you, John.
I’d never heard that term, “daughtered out,” before. But I guess it perfectly describes me since we had four daughters, no sons! The end of the line!
Thanks, Dennis. You don’t seem to mind! I don’t think our dads did either, especially since they weren’t farming land that had been in the family for decades.
Yep, I’m “daughtered out!” A son just wasn’t meant to be, but I now have four great sons-in-law!
Oh, Dennis, I bet you’re the best father-in-law!
Love the quartet photo. The ancestry search, along with the DNA reveal can be surprising. It was with mine. Hugs from Dallas, TX.
Thanks, Alan! DNA results haven’t helped me find anyone, but another woman sure surprised me with what she found that dove-tailed with what I already had. She and her mother were in tears because they’d found family because of what I could confirm.
Daughtered Out is a fascinating saying, Joy. You and the other daughters look very nice in the picture.
Thanks, Tim. I wonder if it’s a very old legal term.
The Neal girls’ quartet must have been a fun experience. Love the pic! Back in the day, parents would often talk about carrying on the family surname with sons. If they had just girls, they didn’t use the term “daughtered out.” Families were bigger then and some parents kept having children untll they got what they wanted. 🙂
It was a new term to me as well. Perhaps an old legal term. Thanks for your note, Nancy.
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