It works like this. My sil's mother died about a year ago. Apparently both his parents were not interested in family or relatives. I believe the family was quite small. Very few relatives attended her memorial. When the sil's mother died about a year ago he started to look up the family.
The sil has become very interested in researching family. As my daughter says he's gone down a rabbit hole. Every time I talk to him he's excited about what he has found.
The sil knows that I'm interested in family history so he gave me a subscription to a family ancestry site that he uses.
So now I'm off to find out all kinds of new things. Before 1990 my father's family did a family tree and they located over 900 of the family.
My father's side of the family were German Lutherans who came to Canada from Volhynia in the Ukraine. Great Grandpa brought all his married children to Canada over a period of 15 years. Great Grandpa had four sons and four daughters.
First a couple of family members were sent out to scout the area. They sent back good reports and their wives and children were sent out. As money was gathered for fares others made the trip. The Mennonites in southern Manitoba were a great help to the family.
After a number of years all of them relocated to the Esk area in Saskatchewan. Two of the families moved on from Esk but two sons and three daughters spent the remainder of their lives at Esk.
Now my three brothers and some of their children are the only family members left in that area.
Anyhow I expect to find a few things I didn't know. Maybe some of my followers come from German Lutheran families from the Ukraine!
Anyway, thanks to my sil for an early Father's day gift.
...my Mother was adopted and never cared to research her biological family. My Father's family can from Ireland with a stop over In Ontario, Canada. That's about all that I know.
ReplyDeleteSad that some families know so little about their background.
DeleteWhat a nice Father's Day gift! I should warn you those ancestry sites can be addictive! I am in ancestry.com and really enjoy it, but I won't work on it unless I know I have some time to spare. It can be a rabbit hole as you say!
ReplyDeleteI know I will become fascinated by it.
DeleteHello, researching your family history can be addicting. It is fun searching and finding your relatives. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'll enjoy the search.
DeleteI suspect you'll learn a lot and hopefully share it right here on your blog. I know I have little to no German in my bloodline, so it won't be any of my relatives you uncover. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people who don't consider nationalities. We are white guys!
DeleteWho are ancestors were and the goals they attained and the challenges they faced will always be a compelling story.
ReplyDelete... and it's a story that's still going on.
DeleteFun history. watched a show on Alberta riding horses around Calgary and crystal lake on public television today
ReplyDeleteYeh! Alberta is a great place.
DeleteWhat a delightful gift! You are going to have fun with this!
ReplyDeleteI've had fun getting into it.
DeleteSounds like you are going to begin your family adventure. Good luck in your research.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure my mother's side will be full of surprises as I don't know much about them.
DeleteWhen I get bored I will get a subscription! I think you have to have more time than I do right now! Good luck with your search!
ReplyDeleteI've got too much else to do so I can't afford to get trapped.
DeleteGreat present. Have fun! I hope you’ll share some juicy stories.
ReplyDeleteNot sure we will have juicy stories!
DeleteInteresting! Family history is fascinating. My dad spent a lot of time tracing our family tree and putting it all on Ancestry. My partner Dave is a German Lutheran, but his roots are in Germany itself -- a tiny town that we keep talking about visiting, but it's so small there's nothing to do there!
ReplyDeleteYou're such a great traveler I'm sure you'll find lots to do.
DeleteMy family's history goes back a couple hundred years before details about further ancestors becomes unknown. I know everyone with my maternal grandfather's surname living in North America is descended from the same woman, my great-great-grandmother, who immigrated to America as an older woman with most of her children and is buried in a small town near the South Dakota-Minnesota border.
ReplyDeleteSounds like somebody has spent some time with your family history.
DeleteIt can be fun searching the family tree. My brother is quite enthusiastic about it. He shares his findings with me...and I confess, I don't do any of it on my own!
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky!
DeleteAn interesting and very appropriate gift! Have fun exploring!
ReplyDeleteI'll have fun.
DeleteHope you will post about things you find out. My oldest daughter is interested in the family tree and has done a lot of research. Now just about everybody in the family comes to her with questions.
ReplyDelete