Not too long ago, I heard from a couple of cousins. One from my mother’s paternal line and the other from my father’s elusive maternal side.
The interesting thing about these two ladies was three-fold: (1) we never met or conversed before; (2) they found me based on genealogy/ family searches; and, (3) they each hold information key to confirming (or correcting) what little I have on their respective branches of The Family!
MATERNAL SIDE: Michelle found some old message board posts that I had written some time ago, and wrote to tell me that she was descended from my great-grandfather’s oldest sibling — a sister (ATKINSON), who had married (FULKERSON) and re-located to (Upper) New York State in 1905.
E-mails were exchanged for a few days with lots of information. I sent copies of my research notes to her and Michelle sent back … PICTURES!
She was surprised to learn about our earliest ancestors and their journey in 1833, and the research on all the children and their descendants.
She later confessed that she was so impressed with the information I had sent her, that she shared with her mother (who in turn shared with her sister)!
When I read Michelle’s confession I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of the shampoo commercial from the ’80s: “I told two friends, then they told two friends, and so on, and so on …”
I was very proud of the compliment; and eagerly wait to hear back from her after she finishes the 66page document on just the one child (Thomas Jnr) we are descended from. I told her that Thomas had 13 siblings and that 10 married, had families of their own and there were documents on each them as well (if she was interested!).
PATERNAL SIDE: About a fortnight ago, Patricia sent me a message through my blog that she was related. A few e-mails later, I learned that she was from my father’s side and not my mother’s.
Someone from my father’s side! Two of the most elusive families to do research on: an English grandfather and a French grandmother. Both families must have been gypsies, because searching for paper trails turned up very little. Once I located my great-grandparents, the paper trails ended!
I decided early on to wait for the 1921 & 1931 Canadian Census in order to properly find them.
The 1921 Canadian Census was released earlier this year in June (2013), and I was able to find three of my grandparents. The fourth, my maternal grandmother (Grace) was born too late; but she should be on the 1931 Census which will (hopefully) be released in another ten years.
But Patricia was an angel; she explained where she fit in! She is descended from my paternal grandmother’s maternal line of DESOLLIERS/ DEZALLIERS.
She enjoyed the “Fearless Females” stories that I wrote about Emily and raising her children during WWII without a father. Through these narratives, she was able to learn a little about her cousins (my father, his siblings, and my Gramma).
It was through these themed narratives that Patricia realized that she had found family!
So, if it is Facebook, Twitter, a blog, message boards or any other form of public social media that you relay your genealogy through, continue to do it. Someone will find you.
I’ve been twice lucky: Dad’s side 1, Mum’s side 1
Wait a minute … that’s a tied score!
(Oh, drat! Overtime.)
Your Roots Are Showing Dearie! 