A little of what has been keeping me busy....

[Bly]

A short while ago, Cliff and I finished up our fall season. Usually there is a bit of early winter fishing to be done before all freezes up and we wait to make the trek to Simcoe for our one ice fishing outing a year, the Tyler Event. This year, due to a variety of circumstances, I have been unable to get out. I knew in early December that my fishing time was going to be extremely limited if at all. I was going to need something to keep me from going totally crazy during the evening hours.

 

Growing up, I loved fishing and hunting. I can remember spending hours with my brother ALEX planning trips , the miles that we covered on our bikes riding to some of our favorite spots and the challenge of acquiring gear and keeping what we had in good working condition. Although our father took us out a few times (hunting and fishing) and we did some fishing with our maternal grandfather, there was no one that took us to tackle/hunting shops or taught us to fish, it was just the 2 of us. I have always wondered where we got our love for fishing and adventure. I also always wondered about "who" our family was and where we came from. I never knew my father's family but there were many tales told of ancestors on my mother's side. I wasn't going to be out fishing, decided this was the year to start researching.

 

I started with a few names from both my parents and of course the stories. My goal was to see if I could track my family back to the first people that came to the United States. My Father's side was fairly easy. My 2 sets of gr grandparents were born in the Netherlands, moving to the US in 1889 and 1913. Added bonuses, I was able to gather names and such for the Vanderlaan ancestors back 7 generations in Holland and was able to reconnect with my only paternal uncle. I hope to be able to build a relationship with my uncle and maybe gather a few family photos.

 

My mother's family history has been interesting and a lesson in US history all over again. I had always heard that "we" had been in the US longer than the US was it's own country. A few interesting relatives I have found along the way....

 

Stephen Hopkins (1582-1644)

Mayflower Passenger, was a merchant and tanner by trade who came across the ocean on the Mayflower, signed the Mayflower Compact.

12th Great Grandfather

 

 

Edward Winslow (1595-1655)

Mayflower Passenger, served as the governor of the Plymouth Colony. He also signed the Mayflower Compact.

11th Great Grand Uncle.

 

Glen, Art and Joe, you may appreciate this..

Col. Richard Lee I, Esq., “the Immigrant” (1618-1664), The original Lee of the famous/infamous Lee family of the South.

cannot seem to find the exact number of greats at the moment but a grandfather. Family papers/letters referred to Robert E as "cousin Bob the traitor".....no disrespect intended, just thought it was interesting

 

Also discovered.....

 

Susannah North Martin, hanged as a Salem witch, July 19, 1692

 

Harmon Dick, a Scottish lad who moved to Hesse Castle Germany due to the turmoil that Scotland was in, then pressed into service as a Hessian soldier, shipped to the US to be captured by George Washington during the famous Delaware crossing. Harmon joined up with Washington and they became friends.......

 

Henry Getz. Gatesburge Pennsylvania is named after Henry.

 

I have yet to find when a few of the bloodlines arrived in the US but I think I found the hunting, fishing, adventure loving relatives.....The Richardson's. The information I have tells me that they came from Scotland, spent some time in Maine as farmers, cod fisherman and pirates. They moved all over the US, some of the time they were gold miners, teachers, bankers, farmers... They are considered to be some of the earliest Pioneers of Arizona. My Gr Gr Grandmother was told to be an excellent shot and a force to be reckoned with.

 

Found many relatives that served in the Armed Forces in a variety of ways...grandfather trained with the original glider pilots in WWII, gr grandfather was part of the original marine ground forces in WWI, many fought in the Civil War and in the American revolution. One relative was a captain in charge of a fleet of vessels in the French and Indian War...an early French Canadian connection...

 

I have been fortunate enough to also have found many documents....Wills, Birth Certificates, Marriage Licenses and pictures.....here are a few....

1886 An Uncle who died when he was 10 in a wagon accident

 

my grandmother taken about 1924

 

Gr Grandmother and her little sister... about 1914

 

gr gr grandfather, gr gr grandmother, gr grandfather and gr uncle 1902

 

5 generations.....my mother (6 weeks old), her father, grand father(Harold Dean), great grandmother (daisy) and gr gr grandmother in 1945

 

Daisy and Harold Dean about 1904

 

My grandfather 1940's

 

Great Grandparents first car

 

a set of gr gr gr grandparents Not sure when this was taken...both passed about 1916

 

Just for fun.....1972/73

 

A little bit of fishing history also.......found these while digging around in my mother's basement and garage....some of the old gear that ALEX and I used as kids......

 

An old Johnson Reel

 

 

 

The Olympic 2000 that was on an ice fishing rod

 

A Jorgensen Cub X-79

 

There were a few rods, a Zebco, Abu Garcia and Berkley Spartan....

 

 

Hope I haven't bored anyone to tears, just wanted to share a bit of what I have been doing to occupy myself. Thanks for taking the time to read it

Edited January 12, 2009 by bly

[irishfield]

Great stuff Carole... now I see how you and Leah yak for hours on end... it's that Dutch side coming out. She's a Van Den Heuvel .... Her Grandfather hide Canadian Soldiers in the rafters of his lumber yard during WWII.

Edited January 12, 2009 by irishfield

[douG]

Fabulous, Carole. I love that shtuff, and am now trying to get the next generation interested in the same stuff. I find it helps to point me where I 'm going, now that I know where from I is.

[Bly]

Wayne Really cool about Leah's family!!! Edited January 12, 2009 by bly

[GBW]

Great post Carol. It was a good read.

So, are you and Cliff going to pain the Honda up like the Duke boys car now that you know all this...

Edited January 12, 2009 by GBW

[Bly]

Fabulous, Carole. I love that shtuff, and am now trying to get the next generation interested in the same stuff. I find it helps to point me where I 'm going, now that I know where from I is.

 

I have really been enjoying it. I have been able to speak with relatives all over the US and even been in contact with some very distant relatives. Amanda has been very interested in it and is now attempting to research more about her father's family.

[Bly]

Great post Carol. It was a good read.

So, are you and Cliff going to pain the Honda up like the Duke boys car now that you know all this...

 

 

Ummm........No I might perhaps attempt to get Cliff to wear a kilt more often though

[solopaddler]

Pretty cool stuff Carole!

[bigugli]

There's a great sense of pride that comes from knowing your roots and family history. It gives you a greater sense of who you are. That connection with the past also helps to guide us on the paths we should follow in life.

 

Give yourself a great big pat on the back. You done good.

[aniceguy]

that was a really interesting read especially about your US roots...The various historicial societies in the US might be able to even trackl down more information re your family there too..

[Jen]

Hi Carol,

 

What a great way to be spending time... it is almost like walking into a world a long time ago...

 

I have all of my family history dating back to my great great great Grandfather, from diaries to pictures... Letters that were written back and forth between lovers courting to marriage and death certificates.

 

One of these days I plan to put it all together for my kids... Keep up the good work, the sleuthing and the sharing.

 

Wow you certainly have come from a long line of very strong individuals.

 

Take care of you and that beautiful Family,

 

Cheers,

 

Jen

[Joey]

Awesome pics and info Bly, pretty cool. Hope everything is okay and you can get out soon.

 

Joey

[LeXXington]

really cool love the old pic's I guess say cheese and smile was out before the 1920's

[Moosebunk]

So cool. No time to read at work just now, but I like all them old photos.

[John]

Pretty cool Carole. Thanks to your's Bernie's and Cliff's posts I have renewed interest in my family history. I have literally hundreds of photo's of family members, most of whom I have no idea of the connection.

 

I don't think anyone smiled in a photo before the early 1900's.

 

I remember my grandmother telling me that a trip to the portrait studio when she was very small was quite the event.

[Big Cliff]

Well, if Cliff wears a kilt here, he'd better be playing the bag pipes or everyone is going to find out what a man wears under his kilt LOL!

 

Carole I think it is fantastic that you have done so muce research back into your family history. My daughter has been working on a similar project for years now (our family LOL). And she has uncovered some really interesting facts. (Like I am a decendent of some king something or other) Seems he might have had an insestious relationship or something so we won't go there LOL. anyway, history is wonderful when you are part of it and what else do we have to leave to our kids?

 

Good on you girl!

[jwl]

wow that must have taken some time to put all that together, some pretty interesting history there, just the fact that you traced back some roots to almost 500 years is pretty cool

[jonnybass]

Bly, that is some seriously rich family history. I mean, holy moly, the Mayflower? Salem witch?

 

How did you find all of this out?

[Terry]

I love old pictures

 

I thought I would try to fix one up

but in the end I think they look better in their original condition

 

 

 

<a href="http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c52/Mrbeee1954/?action=view&current=cal.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c52/Mrbeee1954/cal.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

<a href="http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c52/Mrbeee1954/?action=view&current=sue-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c52/Mrbeee1954/sue-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[PERCHER]

Carole that was a great post.I find Family history so intresting.It must have taken a lot of time and research to find all that information.Way to go that is something to be really proud of.

Dan

[Bly]

Hi Carol,

 

What a great way to be spending time... it is almost like walking into a world a long time ago...

 

I have all of my family history dating back to my great great great Grandfather, from diaries to pictures... Letters that were written back and forth between lovers courting to marriage and death certificates.

 

One of these days I plan to put it all together for my kids... Keep up the good work, the sleuthing and the sharing.

 

Wow you certainly have come from a long line of very strong individuals.

 

Take care of you and that beautiful Family,

 

Cheers,

 

Jen

 

You are very lucky to have all those papers and pictures. There are some great programs out there to help when you decide to put it all together, I am sure that your kids and their kids and so on will treasure it.

 

Awesome pics and info Bly, pretty cool. Hope everything is okay and you can get out soon.

 

Joey

 

Thanks Joey. Everything is good, hope to be getting out soon!

 

Bly, that is some seriously rich family history. I mean, holy moly, the Mayflower? Salem witch?

 

How did you find all of this out?

 

I talked to any living relative that would talk to me lol Although most that I talked to gave me the same family names...who was married to who, the kids and so on for the first few generations, each person had different stories to tell. The stories can be key even if they are not complete or totally accurate. One of my great aunts kept telling me about a relative that was in Andersonville Prison (civil war) and was released in 19XX, trouble was, the Prison had not yet been built in that year. I set aside the information. A few weeks went by and while looking for another person I stumbled across the story of a young man who had lost an arm in Andersonville Prison etc. Contacted the person that submitted the information and learned it was about the man my aunt had told me about, she just confused his capture date with his release date.

There are many great sites online now that are dedicated to genealogy. These sites allow you access to public records and to other individuals researching the same family names.

 

I love old pictures

 

I thought I would try to fix one up

but in the end I think they look better in their original condition

 

Terry, thanks for the great edit! I have about 200 more if you are bored LOL

 

 

Thanks to everyone else also for you kind words and for taking the time to read and post. I am far from done but I am very happy with what I have so far. If you even think that you might ever want to do something like this, start making notes now and identifying the people in family photos,, even if you don't do it, your kids might want to and will appreciate it.

 

Thanks again!

[snag]

Howdy Carole,

 

I know that this task took a lot of effort.

 

My aunt did the same thing for our family and it is exhausting!

She thought about it every day, tackled every remote lead and had to sift through hundreds of photos and letters!

 

Your family will appreciate your effort for generations as it becomes more difficult to get the documentation

 

Great job Amiga'

 

Grantissimo

[Guest steel'n'esox]

Nice to go back over your families history, I tried to do the same, but no one wants to admit their related to me, so for now I just have to believe I was a stowaway on one of those Somalie pirate ships until I here anything different or someone admits were related?