My Grandfather Thomas Peters

This is the only picture I have of my Grandfather on my mother's side, Thomas Peters--whom I got my middle name from. Thomas was born in 1861 and died in 1915--the year after my mother was born. The three other men in the picture are his brothers--Louis, John and Frank.

My Grandmother Mary Leaf

This is a photo of my Grandmother Mary Leaf (date unknown), my mother's mother. She was born in 1879 and died in 1964. Her Mohawk name was Konwaronhiaienni. I was ten years old when she died--I remember visiting her at her house on Cornwall Island, Ontario . I remember that she only spoke the Mohawk language.

Alex White with Governor Dewey.

This is a picture of my Grandfather Alex White with NY Governor Thomas Dewey. Alex was a Chief of the Mohawk Tribe in the 1940s and he must have been in Albany on business with Gov. Dewey.

My Dad Lincoln White was later a Chief of the Tribe and I've seen his picture with Governor Mario Cuomo.

This is a picture of my Grandmother Rena David White. She married Alex White in 1915 and they had four children: a son Lincoln (my father) and three daughters--Ella, Ellene and Erma. Alex was married previously to Hattie Gray but his first wife died giving birth to a baby that was later name Hattie. Alex and Hattie had two daughters: Ethel and Evelyn who were raised by Alex and Rena.

My grandmother died in 1980.

The Infamous Isaac White

This is the only picture I have of my Great Grandfather, Isaac White, who was born in 1858 and died in 1936. Isaac was the son of George White, a Mohawk and Jane LaMiere, a French Canadian woman.

My Aunt, Ella White Peters, wrote a family history in 1977 in which she tells the story of how Isaac was convicted of the murder of a woman (the "grass widow") in 1894. He was sentenced to be electrocuted in 1895, but the sentence was commuted six days before the execution date. In prison he learned to read and write english and eventually became head assistant in the prison surgical department and also studied dentistry. Because of his good works and model behavior he was paroled in 1908.

I will scan Aunt Ella's paper and post it.

Front row from left to right: George White, Adeline White and Alexander White (my Grandfather). Back row: Angeline White, Mose White and Michael White.