Descendant Spotlight: Carolyn Kenzslowe-Beckett
Our Descendant Spotlight for the month of June is Carolyn Kenzslowe-Beckett. She is the great-granddaughter of Sedwick and Isabella Gordon and the second great-granddaughter of Amanda Beverly and Stafford Gordon.
Carolyn Kenzslowe-Beckett
Carolyn, the eldest daughter of Ellsworth Gordon and Leona Carmichael Kenzslowe, was born and raised with her siblings Ellsworth, Jr. Corinne, Michael, and Robert, in Bridgeton, New Jersey. She graduated with a BA from the University of State of New York. She joined the United States Air Force as a German Linguist and was stationed on intelligence-related assignments in California, Texas, Maryland, and Germany. She retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant and was awarded several decorations including the Air Force Meritorious Service Award with Oak Leaf Cluster. Since retirement from the Air Force, she has received a dual M. A. degree in Human Resources Management and Development from Webster University and several certifications in Adult Education, Instruction, and Coaching. As an entrepreneur, she started her own business, KinderMusik of Northwest San Antonio, where she taught young children basic developmental skills through movement and music concepts for several years. She served as a Life Coach to retired/soon-to-be retired women going through a transition in their lives, is a member of the John Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, enjoys being an active member of V. A. Voices #651363 Toastmaster club, and stays spiritually balanced by practicing Nichiren (SGI) Buddhism.
Carolyn has two children, Kwame Butler and Veronica Williams, and 2 bonus children Melanie and Ian Beckett. Having recently moved from Texas, she and her husband Bruce live happily with their two dogs, Abby and Clyde, in Delaware.
It was through Ancestry that Carolyn found her long-lost paternal relatives, “I always wondered who my paternal grandfather was. As a teenager, I used to stand in our front yard, facing west towards the town of our Dad’s birth, and wondered if there was anyone living there who looked like me and my siblings – any cousins. It wasn’t until I became an older adult that I learned of Ancestry.com and began my research. This was when I learned of and actually met cousins who lived in the northern New Jersey/New York area. We began having monthly Zoom meetings to share our research findings and begin to become a family. It was through the meetings that I learned about the Gordon family's history.”
Carolyn plans to continue supporting the Menokin Descendant Collective by actively participating in ongoing planning and upcoming Menokin events, attending family gatherings, and helping plan virtual Descendant events and Descendants’ Day!