Author |
Across the Fence: Your family background |
asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 2:49:37 PM
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Was wondering what everyone’s heritage is? Is your family deep rooted in American History – daughter of the American Revolution, ancestors who stepped off at Plymouth Rock, etc, or are you a 1st of 2nd generation of a recent immigrant to the States? I myself am an offspring of a German straight off the boat (my dad) and of a Lithuanian/Russian mix mother who was born here in the US. I was brought up in a household where a second language was spoken when my father got a call or made a call back to Germany. Where German food was the norm, and Christmas was laced with German traditions. Where stories were told of my father as a kid during WWII in Germany and how they made it with very little to put on the table. How they entertained themselves during a terrible time in their country and of stories being raised by my Great Uncle while his mother was in and out of hospitals. My grandmother on my Mom’s side shared stories of her mother and father coming to America and the life they led in Rockford and Chicago, Illinois with 9 children. How her father left and her mother married many times to help support the kids and how she met my grandfather and raised my Mom in the Midwest during the late 30’s thru the 40’s. How they moved from farm to farm every year and how my Mom learned to ride a horse and milk a cow by hand. I think the strength my grandparents had and passed down to my parents help make the person I am today. Where there is always a way to do something and never be afraid to meet new people or try new things. I understand that my stubbornness comes from the German side and the necessity to always be on time (even early if possible) and that the creative/artistic and the love of growing things come from my Mom’s side. Just wondering if anyone has a rich history that they are proud of and how it might have affected the way they live and raise their children.
Anne
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 4:24:46 PM
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I have American Indian ancestors on all sides of my family..but no full blood for way way back ..lots of halfs and quarters...My parents are both 1/4...Cherokee and Choctaw on my dads side and Cherokee on mom's side..the rest of our heritage is a little bit of everything. In doing geneology I found that I have relatives like 7 generations back from Portugal on my mom's side and from Spain too..and from Ireland on my dad's side..but My grandparents and great grandparents were all from the south...my grandparents all went to Calif during the depression. My grandmothers were both the oldest of alot of children..12 for one and 10 for the other and they were all farmers from way back. My Mom's paternal side were ranchers and my grandpa made a living as a cowboy going from ranch to ranch until he got married and then had a dairy farm while my mom was growing up. My dads family got jobs other than farming when he was growing up but were hard workers ...for sure all blue collar rural folks. I really connected with my mom's parents and wish I could have met my great grandma on that side..my mom's mom's mom. Everyone says I am just like her...only she was very very short...only 4'8. I am considered practically a giant woman on that side of the family at 5'8". My mom and dad's sides of the family were very different and we were for sure much closer with my mom's side, but I feel like I have a rich heritage on Dad's side too. I love to learn more about them. I was lucky enough to have three great grandparents living until I was a teenager. The last one died when I was pregnant with my oldest son or we would have had 5 generations on that side alive.
Jenny in Utah Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 6:11:08 PM
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Irish Catholic Farm folk mostly (Judge was their last name), with a bit of German/Dutch (Orris) and English (Hogan) and a French Surname(LaVergne). I think that makes me a Heinz 57!Just like my dog. |
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kydeere40744
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
Jessica
Kentucky
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 6:18:03 PM
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Genealogy is something that I have always been interested in and have been doing since I was 13 to be honest! My family has Cherokee blood running in it on both parent's side. My great-great-great grandma on my mom's side is originally from Russia...how they found their way to Kentucky I have no idea. I also have relatives that descend from Squire Boone, who is the brother of Daniel Boone who paved the way for progress across the Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains into KY. The one unique thing is that my maiden name means "blanket weavers", as well as "top of the hill". Well, all of us have lived on a hill on that family...come to think of it, my brother and I do still. And as far back as my great-grandma that I know of all took part in quilting and still do. My dad's side of the family all raised tobacco and mules over time. Most of my family remained in the Appalachian mountains and only until recent years has anyone moved "out of the hills" so to speak. Other lines include German, English (England), Spain, and a few others. It is indeed interesting to learn about your family because you learn about yourself and have a greater appreciation of your traditions to pass on to further generations. My last living great grandparent passed away this past March so now it is my grandparents. I'm the youngest grandchild on my dad's side, but the 3rd oldest on my dad's side....and then of course you have the great-grandbabies now. I don't have kids, but my brother does. I am always amazed at how different features and aspects of a person has been passed down throughout the generations.
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 6:20:39 PM
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I am a British Isle girl for the most part. My Maternal G'pa was born in Quebec of Scotish stock, Maternal G'ma was of French stock. Paternal G'pa was Welsh/Scotch and Maternal G'ma was Irish stock. My mom's dad was very proud of his heritage and always prayed for the Queen at meal time. My dad's dad never spoke of his famliy because of "famliy secrets" he was ashamed of. He went to the grave with those secrets, darn it!. My dad's mom was very proud of her heritage, to the degree that Irish was the only true american blood, yeah well. Unfortunatly, there were no real traditions set forth from any of them except afternoon tea. I never met any of my great grandparents, but was very close to my mom's folks as they built a house on our farm when G'pa retired. I have tried to incorporate traditions from the various countries, especally at Christmas with my girls. Each one of them have been drawn to a different ancestory, the oldest, scotch; middle,irish; youngest, french. As I was closet to my mom's dad my scottish/canadian heritage is fondest in my heart.
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 6:46:54 PM
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I love genealogy and have traced two sides of my family now. It is very addictive! The Trevena side came from Cornwall, England and I have ancestors traced back to the 1500's. My father's father - Caldwell - was adopted and I was given the original inkpen adoption agreement for the four children that were alive at the time my gr-grandmother died in childbirth. Through a small miracle, I did find my grx2-grandfather's diary in the Trent University archives. He was a master of the barter system and it's a facinating read how he traded with his neighbors for needed things. Also how they would give a side of pork to a neighbor in need, but that loan was always repaid. He was also a weaver and wove yards and yards of cloth for local ladies. My maternal grandmother could plant rocks and they would grow! She had a market garden in a Saskatchewan valley for many years and it was watered by hauling water from a nearby river. They sure must have been strong women in those days.
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2005 : 04:39:29 AM
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I am all German on my mother's side (Hoffman and Wittenauer). Both were poorer farming families, I think I am the 5th generation off the boat.
On my Dad's side - some German, some Dutch (and they were wealthy, we have some of the china and crystal handed down - WOW), some English, some Cherokee. The Europeans were also a long time off the boat. History on dad's side isn't as clear. We do have the neatest picture of my Cherokee great-great-great grandmother, she wasn't there for the family photo so the photographer "added" her to the shot. It's neat to see how they did that back then. |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2005 : 07:01:25 AM
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I find it interesting on how some of our grandparents and great grandparents had secrets. On my mom's side - my grandfather and his brother changed their last name for the russian name (can't spell it) to an Irish name - Kane. They felt they were discreminated against with their born names and felt they could get further along in the world with an Irish last name. Also my grandfather was a gambler and always in trouble. When my mother was little, about 1940, they had to move suddenly from Chicago to the suburbs because my grandfather had been gambling, saw a razorblade fight and was afraid of revenge from the fighters he witnessed. He had many secrets that we will never know about - just recently my mom found out he lied about his age. He was actually 3rd years older then he had told my grandmother. It is too bad he isn't around any more to fill in the gaps. It sounds like everyone comes from a very rich history of families and traditions. It's wonderful to pass down to the next generation.
Anne
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2005 : 08:15:05 AM
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Isn't it stange the deep dark secrets that are kept by one generation, are objects of curiosity on obession by another generation. My mom's family were relatives of some of the Mayflower people. Came just a few years later. Been here a long time. My dad's family weren't too far behind. I am mostly English, with enough Scots, Irish, and Welch to make me not want to be English. There are rumors of a part Cherokee great-grandmother, but no one has proved it. The internet is a wonderful thing, I have found lots of info, even have just found one of my g-grandfathers enlistment record in the Union Army. Both sides of the family lived in Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War, and then came to Idaho. Some during the war, and some in the years following. Some parts of the family had money, most didn't. Some made money, most didn't. I am sure some members of the family must have written journals, but both sides of my mom's family had house fires, and all that paperwork is gone. One set of great-grandparents came from Missouri on the Oregon Trail in 1964. What I wouldn't give for her journal. I have written some things, but should at least put down stuff I know about the family. I have made a timeline of our family going back to the 1400's, but other than names, I don't have much.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2005 : 08:34:40 AM
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You've brought up a good point Westfork...write it down! I wish I had written down some of the stories my grandmother used to tell me. And who will be around to tell our gr-grandchildren the stories of their ancestors. Also, write information on the back of photographs. I have a box of photos from my gr-aunt's estate and the folks in them would be anonymous if she hadn't taken the time to write who they were on them. |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2005 : 11:59:00 AM
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Yes, there are some deep dark secrets nobody wants to talk about - so hard to find out what they are!
Somewhere back there (I know who, but I'll still be nice and not say names) one of my ancestors eloped with the mailman, and they had a little boy and a girl before her father came and dragged her back to the farm, with the kids. She didn't get to see her husband often after that... but their son died rather strangely. Her father had never liked the boy because he looked like that mailman, so it is strongly suspected he drowned the boy.
There's a fun one for the books for ya! |
Edited by - greyghost on Nov 03 2005 12:00:21 PM |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2005 : 08:44:06 AM
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Lynn, this is the thing about secrets, more than likely, the truth is nowhere near as bad as what people think. In my family, one of my dad's aunts got pregnant when she was 16, her father sent her to a "home". Her neices and nephews thought it was a mental institution, she and the baby died and were buried there a long ways from home. It left a bad feeling among the younger members of the family. No one ever talked about it for years. By then the parents of the girl were gone, and all any one had was speculation. Sad.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2005 : 09:15:08 AM
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Years before my grandmother died, we gave her a book to write down memories. It wasn't a very big book and it was broken down into sections - "when I was a child", "My Parents", "My Siblings", etc. I believed she got quite a bit written in there, my mother has it now. So I am hoping that she will continue writing in it and maybe start another book of her childhood memories. Probably should have my Dad do the same. I do know, since he retired he has been busy on the internet tracking his family geneology. It has been difficult because everything is back in Germany and many records were lost or destroyed because of Wars and fires. Also in some of the little towns, they bury people so many deep to conserve space, so church records are kinda weird.
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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lamarguerite farm
True Blue Farmgirl
649 Posts
missy
Battle Ground
Wa
USA
649 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2005 : 09:15:20 AM
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I have a very strong German background as well as welsh. I just found out recently that I am a descendent of the Landis family in Pennsylvania and there is a whole Landis museum there.(one of our fellow farm girls led me to that one!) On my last visit to Illinois I sat down with my Grandmother and went through tons of pictures and asked lots of questions. She had a picture of one of my Great, Great, Great Grandmothers and pointed out that all the women in our family have the same square chin. I looked at the picture and it was my chin. I never noticed it before. It is so amazing to have a common feature with someone who lived more than a hundred years ago. Apparently she and her husband owned oil wells in california and she was the first female real estate agent in the state of Ca. This must be where my entrepeneurial side comes from. All the women on that side are very strong and driven.
I really enjoy reading about other's family history. This is such a fun subject.
Blessings,
Missy
If you have a dream, even if you don't feel qualified to accomplish it, just try your hardest.-Maggie Jensen |
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verbina
True Blue Farmgirl
231 Posts
randi
n.j
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2005 : 3:11:33 PM
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my ancesters came from germany in the 1700. fletchers of bedford co pa. proud bunch,farmers mostly.cousins married cousins shhhhhhhhh!they fought in the wars and some still have land up there. there is also a fletcher cemetary. anybody a fletcher? randi |
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CityCat
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Catherine
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
198 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2005 : 4:45:12 PM
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My background seems so radically different from all of you!
I'm a third generation Japanese Canadian. I'm not all that familiar with my Dad's family history (and neither is he unfortunately) but my Mom's family history I know better. My granpa came to Canada, specifically British Columbia, at about 1910. He was maybe 15 years old. He followed his father there to cut timber and send money home to Japan. He somehow ended up in Seattle, or at least Washington state, and even attended high school there. Every where he could, he played baseball. He eventually decided that he needed a wife, so back to Japan and his near his hometown, and found my grandmother (eldest of 13). He apparently wanted to move back to Seattle, but was denied entry to the United States, so it was back to B.C. and they settled in, I-can't-remember-small-town, where he played baseball on the local team, the Tigers. This was in the late 30's. When the war happened, the family got shipped to internment camps like all other Japanese Canadians, and everything they couldn't fit into two suitcases were confiscated. They lived in terrible conditions until the end of the war and my mother and her youngest sister were born in the camps. At the end of the war when my mother was about 5yrs old, the whole family moved to Japan. My Mom was bilingual but subsequently lost all her English and when she finally returned to Canada in the 60's, had to relearn English. While in Japan, my grandfather worked for the US Army as a translator and moved with the US Army so he wasn't home much. My gramna had to hold the fort, and did stuff like plant rice and take in sewing to help make ends meet. They lived in a thatched roof house with no indoor plumbing, and my Mom had only two outfits, a school uniform and one other outfit, both hand-me-downs from older sisters. Eventually they all came back to Canada and settled in Toronto.
From what I gathered from my Dad, his family lived in Vancouver and he even remembers the house they lived in. My grandfather owned a store and they were quite prosperous. Then WW2 happened, and they were shipped to an internment camp. The lost everything. My Uncle Jimmy was in his teens at the time, and spent the war dodging the RCMP by hiding out in lumber camps and the like. Consequently after the war, my Dad's family weren't allowed to move to Japan and were forced to relocate to Toronto. My grandfather became a gardner to a wealthy family, and my Dad tended the dogs. My Dad eventually went to the University of Toronto and graduated a geological engineer, and spent the next 15 years or so in mining camps all over the country. My Dad was also involved in the construction of the CN tower and part of an extention of the transit system in Toronto.
My parents went to Japan a few years ago. It was the first time my Dad had ever been to Japan. After what happened during the war, he's had mixed feelings about his heritage... Anyway, while in Japan, he tried to find the place where his father came from. No luck. He was able to remember the town where his mother came from, and was lucky enough to meet a cousin who was living in the ancestral house of his mother's family! Apparently this cousin knew my father exsisted, and was waiting for him to visit. It was serendipity this all occurred: they just happened to be passing through a town, and my Dad made a comment like, "Oh, this is where my mother grew up." This cousin died the following February after a brief illness.
Cat |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2005 : 6:10:00 PM
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Wow - Catherine Do you think you will ever visit Japan? Your family has gone through alot but has still been able to "bounce" back. I know during WWII, the Japanese camps in the USA were not our proudest moment. I was not aware Canada had done the same thing. That is just an amazing story, thanks for sharing.
Anne Portland, OR
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 09:51:05 AM
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Catherine, I also didn't know that Canadians of Japanese ancestry were interred in camps. I hope you have written this history for posterity. There were camps in Idaho and lots of Japanese families chose to settle here after the war, they were instrumental in developing the farm and small town economy in Idaho and Eastern Oregon. The Heart Mountain camp at Powell, Wyoming is remarkable, there is nothing left of the camp but a smoke stack, but Japanese workers built the canals that brought irrigation to that whole part of the country. Lots of families stayed and took up farms in that area too.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 5:00:12 PM
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Boy wouldn't THAT be cool!!! My mom's side of the family are Turners and Johnsons (from Oklahoma and Texas and New mexico) and my dad's side are Rameys and Padgetts (from Arkansas and Oklahoma. Do I have any kin????
Jenny in Utah Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 7:25:45 PM
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I'm sure there is no one related to me - My mom's side is Zubas and Kane. My Dad's side is Raustein and Hahn. Try those names on for size
Anne in Portland
"Second star to the right, straight on till morning" Peter Pan
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CityCat
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Catherine
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
198 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2005 : 9:12:22 PM
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Yeah, that part of the family history (WW2 and post)is pretty much alive and well. My Dad was 10 years old when it all happened and he remembers everything. He hardly ever talks about it. Too painful. Although, he was reminiscing the other day about collecting sand cherries for a bit of pocket change while in the camps.
In 1988 there was an official apology from then Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, and a redress settlement of $21,000 for all surviving evacuees. It came 2 years too late for my Granpa, and many years too late for my Dad's parents. My Mom has visited the internment camp (Tashme) she was born in, and goes to reunions, but they are now few and far between.
I have been fortunate and visited Japan twice, the first time when I was 16 and most recently a 2 years ago. The first time we stayed with relatives, but in the subsequent years, they stopped keeping in touch with us, the far-flung relatives, and when we informed them that Granma had died, and did not receive a response, we decided to stop trying to contact them. The second visit to Japan was my big solo adventure. I stayed with a university friend near Tokyo, I visited family friends in Sendai, I visited my sister in Akita, and visited a high school friend near Shizuoka. My sister has since moved back to Toronto. She was there for 3 years teaching English.
Cat |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Nov 12 2005 : 8:09:05 PM
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My Dh's G'ma had volumes of famliy histroy in it. When she passed away one fo her daughter;s graciously made copies for all the aunt and uncles (7) and for all the grandchildren (18). There are alot of pictures back to 3 or 4 generations from my husband. I have a 3 ring binder of stories and poems that my dad's mom's siblings wrote. It is wonderful to have. I did some searching of an ancestor who was in the civil war and got copies of muster papers, one indicating him being wounded by shrapnel. Someday I hope to really do some history hunting and make some get volumes of my kids and grandkids with both sides of the family.
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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Debs
True Blue Farmgirl
100 Posts
Debs
Wellington
New Zealand
100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2005 : 08:17:40 AM
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One of my distant cousins did a few genealogy books on our family's history from my mother's side. My great-great-grandmother was from the family "Powick" of Worcester, England and came over on a ship when she was 18 months old (this was in the pioneering and gold-rush days of New Zealand), a lot of the children didn't survive the 3 month journey! She married a gold-miner from Scotland at age 15 (he was 30 - shock-horror!) and they had about 14 childen, and her youngest of them was my mum's mother's mother (my great-grandmother). All the people on my mother's side as far back as we can trace have been farmers or pioneers (or both)! On my fathers side, he was born in North Wales, his parents from Manchester and one of his grandmothers was an orphan born in Ireland near Dublin. My Dad thinks she was a descendent from a potato farmer who left Ireland during the great potato famine. So that is why have a desire to do some sort of farming, it's in my blood! I wouldn't be surprised if I had some farmgirl relatives however distant, as many of the Powick family moved to the States and Canada! |
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ivychevy
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Ivy
Cambridge
Ontario
Afghanistan
1 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2006 : 07:46:56 AM
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TO Daisy Farm - Diane in Victoria BC I came across your post and was very interested in Your Inkpen adoption papers - As I am Ivy Inkpen and I was born in Vancouver to Ted Arlington Inkpen - I think he was also married to Yvonne Inkpen who was his possible 2nd wife - Please email me if you still have all the Inkpen adoption info - as I am doing Inkpen Research and all of your info would be very helpful to find my family - Most of the Inkpen's in my family originated in Shalloway - Great Burin, Newfoundland - but originally came from the area of Sturminister, Newton , England. Thank you for your help - just to let you know - I did find my half sister and half brother already (2005)- which has been wonderful! I can be reached directly at ivychevy@hotmail.com Thank you so much for your time ! You never know - we might be related somehow ? lol Ivy |
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Photobugs
True Blue Farmgirl
363 Posts
Pamela
Post Falls
Idaho
USA
363 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2006 : 9:41:47 PM
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I am so happy to read that so many of you are working on your genealogy. I began about 25 years ago, but was so busy raising a family I did not really get into it until I got a genealogy program with my computer. This made so much more since of my notes. It shows how each family line came after the other. The day I bought my first computer I got Family Tree Maker. I did not know a thing about a computer let alone how to use any programs with it. But I so badly wanted to get my records orderly I taught myself the computer and worked at it until I got the genealogy program figured out. Of course that was ten years ago and everything has improved in computers as well as the genealogy programs getting better and better. The Internet has helped me find many relatives out there and I even have had many send me original photos of long ago deceased relatives. My roots are German, Irish, Dutch, English, and Cherokee. On my paternal side our roots have been traced back to 1650 in this country. All my lines go way back. I had been working on becoming a Daughter of the American Revolution, but hit some snags and have put it aside. Between working on my scrapbooks, making things to sell, running an ice cream truck, selling on ebay, church involvment, running a household, etc, etc, etc, genealogy takes a back seat most of the time. I am taking my mother to her place of birth in Oklahoma in March. I plan to visit cemetary markers and hope to spend some time with a few relatives that still live there. My mom was an okie, my dad an arkie. Cornbread was a mainstay in our house growing up. I did some interviews with my dad's parent's using cassette tape before they passed away. I did not have a video camera at that point. But I am grateful that I at least have those interviews on cassettes. I have actually tried to play them and type out all the talking. But that is very time consuming. I hope to do this someday. It is too bad that most of us do not have an interest in researching our roots until we are older and by then a lot of family members are gone and with them go the facts. The thing I have done to try to keep our family history alive is to put family photographs up in the house. I bought some black photo frames with mattes at Costco a few years back that hold nine 4 x 6 photos. I made copies of the old pictures, using one frame for each family line, put a closup of each person from that family in the frame. Then I typed up each name and placed it at the bottom of the picture. These are lined up on the stairway as you come into my home. Most people love it when they see it. They say, "Are those all family members?" I proudly tell them they are. This was a lot of work. The biggest part being collecting the photos. The black frames with the black and white (some have turned sepia colored) photographs on my sage green wall...it is quite stiking. I have also done genealogy scrapbooks. These were a lot of fun to do. I believe in making copies of all the old pictures, but this has become more difficult thanks to the lawsuit Disney did. Now many places will not let you copy old pictures (Walmart and Walgreen's). This is one of my pet peeves. Those old photography studios that originally took those photos are not even around anymore but you still cannot make copies of your own family photos. That just does not seem right to me. That's all for now folks. Pamela
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" |
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cherryhillhouse
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Barb
Dorr
MI
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2006 : 07:52:40 AM
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My husband and I are both very interested in geneology. With the help of a cousin I have tracked my mother's family WAY back. All of my greatgrandparents came over on boats from Netherlands and settled in southwest Michigan. We have discovered our own deep dark secrets - my paternal grandfather, for instance, married a second or third cousin and when asked about it he said with a smile on his face that there just "wasn't a lot of people to choose from" back then. He also related a story about his appendix bursting when he was 8 and the doctor opened his abdomen, found the ruptured appendix and left him there on the kitchen table to die as it was "just a matter time". He lived to be 97.
Pamela, we bought a photo scanner and do all our own photo copying and printing of old sepia shots. If you don't have a scanner, maybe you have a friend with one? Barb
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Across the Fence: Your family background |
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