The Story of My Relationship to Buffalo Bill Cody

This is a story of the Cody family in North America and a story of my family on my maternal side. In the late 1600’s, Philip and Beverly Cody immigrated to the America via Ireland. For many years it was thought that they were Irish. About 20 years ago (estimated), it was learned that Philip and Beverly were married in France. Due to the persecutions of that time, they left France and eventually traveled to America. The history has been recorded first by my great-great-great grandmother, Lydia Cody Newcomb, and then updated by the International Cody Family Association, Inc. in 1986.


According to this biological work and family history, Philip and Beverly had 6 children, of which only 3 had issue, (children). They were John, Joseph and Isaac Cody. William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody was the 6th generation son of Isaac Cody. Lydia Cody was the 6th generation daughter of Joseph Cody. Due to the fame of her cousin, she is the one who started recording the family information that is used in part for all the biographers of Buffalo Bill to this day. Lydia Cody married Simon Newcomb Jr. in 1826. Their daughter, Stella Newcomb married Daniel Wheeler and had 3 children. Their youngest child was my grandmother, Mary Ione. Therefore I am the 10th generation of Joseph Cody, and therefore a cousin 5 times removed Buffalo Bill.

As children, we learned of our family history from my grandmother as well as the family stories. It wasn’t long before I felt important and proud. Of course, this was not conveyed to my mother or grandmother since they would be considered more important to us. They had a higher family number than us children. The Cody Association had started a numbering system to keep the generations organized and traceable. The earlier generations had numbers such as:  Joseph Cody (16), Lydia Cody Newcomb (117). It was in her generation that there was a split in the numbering system. All future generations after her would start the re-numbering system. My grandmother was 117/113. This meant that the first 1 pointed to her grandfather who was Lydia’s first child, James Harvey Newcomb. The second 1 point to James Harvey Newcomb first child, Stella Newcomb, (my great-grandmother). The third number 3 pointed to my grandmother, Mary Ione, since she was the 3rd child of Stella. My mother’s gynecological number is 117/1135 and my number is 117/11351. Therefore in my mind, the lower the number the more important the person.

I began to “put on airs” and pride started to grow inside me. I looked down on my school mates which was great since they thought I was not worthy to be their friend. I had few friends in school and now I could make my self important, so important that I did not need them. After a while, Mom started to notice a change in my behavior, and not one for the better. She started to tell me the less famous characteristic of my famous cousin. These stories were not flattering and made Buffalo Bill into a living, breathing human being. This person was not perfect and did make mistakes. He had faults and many bad habits.

This was the lesson or moral that I learned and my passing on to the reader. Even though you have a member of your family that is famous, you do not have the right to share that notoriety. That you have to make your own mark on the world and share in both the ups and downs. That is the lesson of this story.