RIFRAF : The REGISTRY of INFAMOUS & FAMOUS RELATIVES in AMERICAN FAMILIES

Membership Requirements

 

In order to join RIFRAF, one must find a common ancestor with a person of fame or infamy. We call this person the Propositus. The common ancestor must have been living by 1550 or later, but may or may not have been on American soil. The Propositus must be an American, and must be deceased.

 

There are nine categories of interest explored by RIFRAF, as follows:

 

1) inventors;

2) visual arts – e.g., painters, sculptors, etc.;

3) theatrical arts – e.g., actors, dancers, directors, producers, etc.;

4) musical arts – e.g., singers, musicians, conductors, composers, etc.;

5) literary arts – e.g., writers, poets, playwrights, etc.;

6) hard sciences – e.g., chemistry, physics, medicine, biology, etc.;

7) sports of national concern – e.g., football, baseball, hockey, tennis, basketball, etc.;

8) Americana – persons who contributed significantly to American culture or history, but whose contributions do not fall into one of the previous categories – e.g., Betsy Ross, Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony, etc.; and

9) persons of infamy of national note – e.g., Lizzie Borden, Jesse James, Ma Dalton, Benedict Arnold, John Wilkes Booth, etc.

 

Application sent for Sports in Nov 2013 (Charles Albert Conerly, Jr.).   Approved Dec 2013.

Membership Application Information

 

Inventor                   Lt. Cmdr Victor Alonzo Prather: awarded the 1961 Harmon Trophy for Aeronauts:

 

"American awards for the most outstanding international achievements in the arts and/or science of aeronautics for the preceding year, with the art of flying receiving first consideration".

Victor Alonzo Prather (1923 - 1961) is your 7th cousin 1x removed

Victor Alonzo Prather Sr (1898 - ), father of Victor Alonzo Prather

Frank Walter Prather (1869 - 1912), father of Victor Alonzo Prather Sr

Alonzo Smith Prather (1840 - 1910), father of Frank Walter Prather

Hiram Prather (1809 - 1884), father of Alonzo Smith Prather

William Basil "Shipjack" Prather (1766 - 1858), father of Hiram Prather

Basil William Prather (1742 - 1822), father of William Basil "Shipjack" Prather

Aaron Allen Prather (1710 - 1777), father of Basil William Prather

Common Ancestor:                                     Thomas Mackay Prather (1671 - 1711), father of Aaron Allen Prather

(OFPA                         )                 Thomas Sprigg Prather (1704 - 1785), son of Thomas Mackay Prather

Henry Prather (1732 - 1775), son of Thomas Sprigg Prather

Abraham Prather (1762 - 1819), son of Henry Prather

James Watson Prather (1812 - 1889), son of Abraham Prather

Robert James Prather (1838 - 1878), son of James Watson Prather

Robert James Prather (1877 - 1933), son of Robert James Prather

Robert James Prather (1907 - 1969), son of Robert James Prather

Ann Dewitt Prather (1934 - ), daughter of Robert James Prather

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings, son of Ann Dewitt Prather


 

Visual Arts:              Application for Etta Ruth Conerly, Artist

{Artistry documented in her daughters book: A Girl from Texas}

Etta Ruth Conerly (1908 - 1994) is your 2nd cousin 2x removed

Thomas Preston Conerly (1878 - 1920), father of Etta Ruth Conerly

Buxton Reeves Conerly (1847 - 1913), father of Thomas Preston Conerly

Common Ancestor:                                     Owen Conerly, Jr. (1817 - 1861), father of Buxton Reeves Conerly

(SAR Application)                      Chauncey Porter Conerly Doctor (1839 - 1903), son of Owen Conerly, Jr.

Ernest Edward Conerly (1880 - 1961), son of Chauncey Porter Conerly Doctor

Emmette Jeanne Conerly (1905 - 1984), daughter of Ernest Edward Conerly

Ann "Rooney" Dewitt Prather (1934 - ), daughter of Emmette Jeanne Conerly

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings, son of Ann "Rooney" Dewitt Prather

 

Theatrical Arts:      James Byron Dean Actor (1931 - 1955) is your 7th cousin 1x removed

Mildred Marie Wilson (1911 - 1940), mother of James Byron Dean Actor

John William Wilson (1878 - 1966), father of Mildred Marie Wilson

Levi D Wilson (1843 - 1920), father of John William Wilson

Alfred Wilson (1815 - 1895), father of Levi D Wilson

Sarah Hussey (1795 - 1834), mother of Alfred Wilson

Christopher Hussey (1770 - 1851), father of Sarah Hussey

Martha Chamness (1746 - 1830), mother of Christopher Hussey

Anthony Chamness (1713 - 1777), father of Martha Chamness

Mary Cole Chamness (1743 - 1819), daughter of Anthony Chamness

Joseph Davis (1761 - 1839), son of Mary Cole Chamness

Joseph T. Davis (1780 - 1837), son of Joseph Davis

John Hamilton Davis (1807 - 1874), son of Joseph T. Davis

Alice "Allie" Mae Davis (1848 - 1880), daughter of John Hamilton Davis

Robert James Prather (1877 - 1933), son of Alice "Allie" Mae Davis

Robert James Prather (1907 - 1969), son of Robert James Prather

Ann "Rooney" Dewitt Prather (1934 - 2014), daughter of Robert James Prather

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings

-or-

Ferrah Leni Fawcett (1947 - 2009) is your 7th cousin 1x removed

James William Fawcett (1917 - 2010), father of Ferrah Leni Fawcett

Sallie Burt (1887 - 1938), mother of James William Fawcett

Ann E. Leatherwood (1856 - 1943), mother of Sallie Burt

Jesse Leatherwood (1819 - 1903), father of Ann E. Leatherwood

Mary "Polly" Lankford (1779 - 1873), mother of Jesse Leatherwood

James Lankford (1732 - 1822), father of Mary "Polly" Lankford

James Lankford (1714 - 1778), father of James Lankford

Common Ancestor: Thomas Lankford Sr (1675 - 1764), father of James Lankford

(Quaker)           Thomas Lankford (1710 - 1783), son of Thomas Lankford Sr

William Lankford (1745 - 1821), son of Thomas Lankford

Matthew James Lankford (1776 - 1837), son of William Lankford

John D Lankford (1806 - 1876), son of Matthew James Lankford

Virginia Elizabeth Lankford (1830 - 1921), daughter of John D Lankford

Susan Allen "Anna" Barfield (1856 - 1942), daughter of Virginia Elizabeth Lankford

William "Willie" Columbus Jennings (1883 - 1982), son of Susan Allen "Anna" Barfield

William "Billy" Columbus Jennings, Jr (1922 - 1994), son of William "Willie" Columbus Jennings

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings, son of William "Billy" Columbus Jennings, Jr


 

Musical Arts: William Howard Doane

 

Literary Arts: Thomas Sigismund Stribling won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "The Store" in 1933.

 

Thomas Sigismund Stribling (1881 - 1965), is your 4th cousin 3x removed

Christopher Columbus Stribling (1844 - 1916), father of Thomas Sigismund Stribling

Andrew Hampton Stribling (1816 - 1885), father of Christopher Columbus Stribling

John Birdsong Stribling (1790 - 1880), father of Andrew Hampton Stribling

Sigismund Stribling (1772 - 1831), father of John Birdsong Stribling

Common Ancestor  Thomas Stribling (1733 - 1819), father of Sigismund Stribling

(NSSAR App)             James Clayton Stribling (1762 - 1831), son of Thomas Stribling

John Beckham Stribling (1790 - 1880), son of James Clayton Stribling

Evalina Kincheloe Stribling (1829 - 1912), daughter of John Beckham Stribling

Anna Eliza Wilsford (1856 - 1890), daughter of Evalina Kincheloe Stribling

Lena Oliver Anderson (1881 - 1976), daughter of Anna Eliza Wilsford

Robert James Prather (1907 - 1969), son of Lena Oliver Anderson

Ann Dewitt Prather (1934 - 2014), daughter of Robert James Prather

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings, son of Ann Dewitt Prather

 

Hard Science:

 


 

Sports:                      Application for Football Quarterback Charley Conerly

                                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Conerly

                                                      Charles Albert Conerly, Jr. (1921 - 1996) is your 4th cousin 1x removed

Charles Albert Conerly (1889 - 1973), father of Charles Albert Conerly, Jr.

Henry Pascal Conerly (1860 - 1945), father of Charles Albert Conerly

John M Conerly (1829 - 1908), father of Henry Pascal Conerly

Cullen William Conerly (1808 - 1856), father of John M Conerly

Common Ancestor                    Owen Conerly Sr. (1777 - 1848), father of Cullen William Conerly

(NSSAR App)                               Owen Conerly, Jr. (1817 - 1861), son of Owen Conerly, Sr.

Chauncey Porter Conerly (1839 - 1903), son of Owen Conerly, Jr.

Ernest Edward Conerly (1880 - 1961), son of Chauncey Porter Conerly

Emmette Jeanne Conerly (1905 - 1984), daughter of Ernest Edward Conerly

Ann Dewitt Prather (1934 - ), daughter of Emmette Jeanne Conerly

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings, son of Ann Dewitt Prather

 

Americana:             Meriwether Lewis: Lewis & Clark Expedition

Meriwether Lewis Capt. (1774 - 1809) is your 4th cousin 6x removed

Lucy Meriwether (1752 - 1837), mother of Meriwether Lewis Capt.

Elizabeth Thorton , mother of Lucy Meriwether

Mary Taliaferro (1684 - 1720), mother of Elizabeth Thorton

John ÒThe RangerÓ Taliaferro, son of Robert Taliaferro and father of Mary Taliaferro

Common Ancestor                   Robert Taliaferro, father of Francis Taliaferro

Francis Taliaferro,  father of Mary and Elizabeth Taliaferro

Elizabeth Taliaferro (1698 - 1775), daughter of John Francis Taliaferro

Thomas Stribling (1733 - 1819), son of Elizabeth "Eliza" Taliaferro

James Clayton Stribling (1762 - 1831), son of Thomas Stribling

John Beckham Stribling (1790 - 1880),  son of James Clayton Stribling

Evalina Kincheloe Stribling (1829 - 1912), daughter of John Beckham Stribling

Anna Eliza Wilsford (1856 - 1890), daughter of Evalina Kincheloe Stribling

Lena Oliver Anderson (1881 - 1976), daughter of Anna Eliza Wilsford

Robert James Prather (1907 - 1969), son of Lena Oliver Anderson

Ann Dewitt Prather (1934 - ), daughter of Robert James Prather

William "Bill" Eugene Jennings, son of Ann Dewitt Prather

 

Infamy: Richard Millhouse NixonÉ