Gen 1: Abigail (the founder)

Born into the middle class with a father who was a teacher, Abigail had a happy childhood and a comfortable life filled with love of books and learning. Thinking education was important, even for girls, her father made sure she had all the book learning she needed, while her mother took care of the more important skills for a girl of the time. Piano-playing, cross stitching, knitting... the useful things for a housewife to know. 

But then tragedy struck and Abigail was left alone after the sudden death of her parents. With next to no money to her name, and no husband in sight, she had to make a living and took one of the only job that was acceptable to a woman in her position. She became a teacher in the small country school in Willow Creek. 

Once moved in she met the charming Matthew Goudeau, who wooed her for a time, but proved unreliable when she was suddenly fired and needed his help. Instead the widower Joseph Whittaker came to her aid, by offering her a position as governess for his two very young children Frank and Ida. Abigail accepted and over the months that followed feelings between her and Joseph grew. They were married in 1891 and four children followed: Anna, Alice, Josephine and finally (and much later) William. 

Joseph and Abigail had a good marriage and lived happily until Joseph's died of old age. Since then Abigail's joy in life are her children and grand children (both her own, and Joseph's). After fighting it for a long time, she finally agrees to move out west, to live with her daughter Anna on her farm, as most of her children has settled on the west coast. It's where she lives when WWII breaks out. Several of the young men in the family goes to war, and grief hit her hard when first one of her grandsons, then her youngest boy and only biological son, William, are killed in action. Heartbroken, she does what she can to support everyone else in the family. Like always putting the family and their well being ahead of her own pain. 

Abigail died, 76 years old, peacefully in her sleep in 1947. She was laid to rest next to her beloved husband in Willow creek. A rosebush she once planted grows over their tombs.