Our children’s progressive roots run deep. Grandmother Shirley, born in 1935 to Irvin and Mamie Duncan, grew up in a family that revered the legacy of FDR. Shirley, an independent with liberal leanings, cast her first vote for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and became a lifelong proponent of Democratic ideals, teaching her children about social justice and recounting her unimpressed meeting with George Bush Sr. at the CIA as a badge of her Democratic loyalty. She was a true Hippie, fighting for women’s rights, child health and safety, and freedom of speech. She often voiced her opinion in various Pennsylvania newspapers, particularly pulling our troops from Vietnam and the political scam that was the oil crisis of the 70s.
Shirley’s father, Irvin Duncan, started as a Republican, voting for Herbert Hoover in 1928. However, the influence of his Democratic wife, friends, and children led him to become increasingly liberal, ultimately supporting FDR. Shirley’s mother, Mamie Anderson, was a lifelong Democrat, casting her first vote for FDR in 1932 and championing New Deal values.
Mamie’s parents, William Anderson and Emma Keefer, were both ardent Democrats. William was a supporter of cousin, President Woodrow Wilson, and a devoted backer of FDR, while Emma was a steadfast Democrat and FDR supporter. The Keefer family’s political journey is rich: Peter Keefer was a Democratic representative in Berks County in 1801, and Michael Keefer held various offices as both Democrat and Republican, always striving for community betterment.
Shirley’s Layman line is another wellspring of Democratic activism. William Duncan, Shirley’s grandfather, the son of a poor Prussian Lutheran laborer Friedrich Danker, first voted for cousin William McKinley, but later shifted to the Democratic Party, influenced by his wife Lottie Layman, another FDR proponent. Lottie’s family boasted Michael Layman, vice-president of the Democratic committee in Marietta in 1844, and William Kelly, a Democratic committee vice-president and tax collector in Union Township.
Irvin’s Rouse and Raymond branches were Democratic stalwarts in 19th-century Pennsylvania as well. Drs. John and Lucas Rouse were active in Democratic nominations in 1835, rallying for “Jackson and no bank!” and “Van Buren and Johnson!” John Raymond was a Democratic convention vice-president, city commissioner, and leader in York’s civic and agricultural societies, while John Reiman also held Democratic offices, cementing a family tradition of public service and party loyalty.
The Thompson line began with Robert B. Thompson, a moderate Republican repeatedly nominated and elected as Porter Township Supervisor in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, from 1899 to 1905. Robert was the son of Alexander, a Scottish Protestant immigrant. His wife, Lydia Ann Goodman, was described as “an educated liberal,” encouraging reform and open-mindedness even though she could not vote.
Robert and Lydia’s son, Abel Thompson, was also initially a Republican and a respected officer in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, holding posts from 1909 to 1916. During World War I, Abel was appointed Captain for both the Second and Third Liberty Loan Campaigns, rallying his Sheridan community to support the war effort. If we look deeper into Abel’s past, we see his grandfather Alexander’s family bucking the laird’s requests, fighting for better pay and safer conditions for coal mining families, and ultimately emigrating to America. Quite a liberal backdrop.
The Democratic spirit truly took root with Gussie Mae Hensel Thompson, Abel’s wife, a proud Democrat whose mother, Clara Updegrove, was also liberal. Gussie’s influence, and that of her mother, would shape the family’s future. Gussie and Abel’s son, Harper Thompson, influenced by his grandmother, his Democratic wife, Myrtle Batdorf, and their children led him to become liberal and ultimately support FDR and Democratic policies. Harper, a 30-year Postal Service letter carrier, would discuss politics along his route and read newspapers daily to become politically well-educated.
Harper’s wife Myrtle’s lines—the Batdorfs and Werts—were equally progressive. Grandparents John and Adeline Wert and Thomas and Mary Batdorf were life-long Democrats. Myrtle’s father Eddie Batdorf, who was a Democratic candidate for town inspector in 1917, was an avid FDR supporter as was his wife Beulah Wert. Myrtle would cast her first vote in 1940 for FDR and was known as a “deeply Democratic woman.”
The family’s commitment to justice and equality is even older than American democracy itself. The Updegrove ancestors, Mennonite immigrants who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1688, were among the signers of the first formal protest against slavery in America—an act that echoes through the family’s values to this day. The Kolb and Rittenhouse relatives in Pennsylvania were active in the Underground Railroad, sheltering those fleeing bondage. On the Lutheran side, Liberals such as the aforementioned Michael Layman and ancestor Sallie Oberlander, a member of the Women’s Antislavery Coalition, further cemented the family’s legacy of justice and reform.
The southern African-American branches of Sophia’s family also embraced Democratic ideals, particularly in the face of the South’s shifting political landscape. Mack Mason, Sophia’s great-grandfather, was a Georgia Democrat, as was his son, Eddie Mazo, and his wife Dolores. Her Forsythe line, with Robert Forsythe and his parents, carried the Democratic torch from South Carolina to Georgia, always advocating for progress and inclusion. Fighting slavery, Jim crow, and securing civil rights.
Our family’s unwavering support of Lincoln’s Liberal National Union administration gave us Democratic cousins named Abraham Lincoln Thompson and Abraham Lincoln Smink, grandsons of the aforementioned Robert Thompson and of Whig ancestor Joseph Workman. Another cousin, Henry Baugher, of the Layman-Oberlander line, provided the benediction when President Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address.
President Andrew Jackson was so honored in many of our cousins, most notably Andrew Jackson Neihart, the cousin of Catherine McCloud Duncan, the liberal Protestant wife of Friedrich Danker, William Duncan’s father, who planted the seeds of democracy in her old-school Prussian husband. Lastly, 1930s and 1940s gave us numerous other cousins named Franklin, showing our pledge to FDR.
By the mid-20th century, the Democratic identity was firmly rooted. Grandfather Gerald first voted for Eisenhower in 1956 (a cousin through the Layman line), but by 1960, inspired by JFK, he switched to the Democratic Party and became a lifelong proponent of Democratic values. Having been through the Korean and Vietnam Wars, he caught on to the grand illusion perpetrated by Republican corruption.
Gerald’s wife, Shirley, as mentioned earlier, was a liberal-leaning independent, always teaching her children the greatness of FDR and JFK. Shirley would work for the Bush and Clinton (also a cousin of ours) administration. Shirley says Clinton gave us economic prosperity, budget surpluses, and deregulation of industries. He also expanded NATO and ended the conflicts in Bosnia and in Northern Ireland.
The family’s commitment to the Democratic Party continued through the decades. Father Marc cast his first vote for Walter Mondale in 1984. As a student at Moravian College that year, Marc attended a rousing rally for Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice-presidential nominee of a major party. His mother Shirley and sister Jill attended another Ferraro rally on the same campaign circuit in Harrisburg—a cherished family memory of hope and progress. Marc’s wife, Melvalean, voted for Michael Dukakis in 1988, and her brother Oliver was also a proud Democrat. Marc’s sister Jill is a dedicated Democrat as well.
The children—Tiffany, Ashley, Tyler, Andrew, Connor, and Sophia—have all embraced the Democratic tradition, carrying forward the family’s values of inclusion, justice, and community service. The family has proudly supported Democratic presidents that have been elected after JFK, including:
- Jimmy Carter – admired for his integrity and focus on human rights.
- Bill Clinton – whose message of opportunity and economic renewal resonated in the 1990s.
- Barack Obama – whose historic election and vision of hope, change, and inclusivity brought pride and inspiration
- Joe Biden – whose empathy, experience, and commitment to restoring the soul of America
From abolitionist signers in 1688 and Underground Railroad conductors, to township supervisors, Liberty Loan captains, Democratic convention leaders, FDR supporters, and Obama voters, our ancestors have lived the American democratic experiment. Their journey of Whigs, National Union, Republicans, and Democrats reflects the nation’s and our family’s growth and the enduring belief that government should serve the people.
For this family, being a Democrat is not just a political choice—it’s a legacy of hope, progress, and unwavering service to community and country, now carried on by the children and will be promoted to the future generations.
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