This site presents information from the family history files of Dr. Ben Dowdey, the author.
It is divided into two parts: lines for Dr. Dowdey, and lines for Susan Lee Wildsmith, his wife. Each part can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate menu above. Maternal and paternal lines are included.
The picture is a visual representation of the joining of the Dowdey and Wildsmith families. The author, second from the left, is flanked by his parents, Charles and Benna Jean (Jones ) Dowdey. His wife Susan is next to her mother, Elizabeth (Sudderth) Wildsmith. Amy Elizabeth Dowdey, Ben and Susan's daughter, is in front.
The families were making a round trip on a vintage steam engine train from Birmingham, AL., to Chattanooga, TN., and back, in November 1991, with a stop at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo for lunch. Incidentally, the penny in the picture is an actual penny placed on the tracks and subsequently retrieved by Benna Jean Dowdey.
Living individuals have been excluded from the site, except those born prior to 1940, and the author's immediate family.
For any comments, corrections or additions, or if you were inadvertently included and wish to be removed, the author can be contacted by clicking on the link below.
(note: there is a clickable link at this position on each page, that will return you to this site)