Category Archives: Family History

Family History Friday (FHF): John Sayer

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It’s always fun when your ancestor turns out to be fairly well known. Well known in certain circles, that is. My 5th great grandfather is
John Sayer.
I’ll tell you what I know about him.
He was born in 1750 in England. He came to America and was a fur trader. He is famous for a journal that he wrote during his time as a fur trader. He had a post near Pine City, Minnesota. In fact, there is a living museum there now called the North West Fur Trading Post. It is the post that John Sayer was at during the winter from 1803-1804. His journal is quite important, because it gives an excellent example of what the fur trade was like. John Sayer was married to my 5th great grandmother Bwan equay. She was a full blood Ojibwe (Native American). I’m telling you about John Sayer because, if you google him, there is a plethora of information about him. You may have already thought of this, but in case you haven’t, google your ancestor. Try it, you may find them there.
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): You Can Do it!

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This is a research log. It is one of my favorite forms for family history/ genealogy. Of course a lot of people prefer the computer for research and organizing, but we all have some paper. Be it a file of papers that aunt so-and-so gave us, or a box that sat in your parent’s attic, we all end up doing some research that involves paper. I found a lot of very relevant information in books and other sources that I ended up wanting a paper copy of. And it’s easier to have one sheet of paper (research log) as we do our research than just your lap top or a little tiny piece of paper that will get lost. You’ll end up looking at the same source again and again saying to yourself, “I think I’ve seen this before.” What I’m trying to say is that I use both the computer and paper. I have, and use, a computer program for organizing, as well as a small file and a history book of each family with all the information that myself or others have found that pertains to that family. In the front of each of these books is all the research logs used during the research for that particular family. That way when you’re ready to do some more research you know already where you’ve looked before. You put the name of the family that you are researching on the top and fill in the rest. This form can be found at the Family Search site I gave you that link for last week. Here it is again. I love my ancesters more and more, when I spent time finding them and finding out about them. Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Do it!

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(This is a clue about what next week’s FHF is about )

Spencer W. Kimball used to always say “Do it!” ( I know Nike would like to take credit, but I know President Kimball was the first. ). So anyway, I think for this weeks FHF I will just say –Do it! You don’t have to do it all the time, or even every day. Just pick a day, like Sunday, and do it for an hour or two. What’s that you say? I haven’t given you enough ideas to get you started? Ok, I’ll give you more ideas. Here’s a place that you can go to help you get going and do it.

Go here! Then click on

How do I begin?

If you need forms or any other ideas you’ll find them. Download a pedigree chart and a family group sheet and start writing. Write all the names and dates and birth places that you know, then start researching. You can Do it! I know you can. Let me know how it goes. You can even color code your families like I do with mine.

I know that if you do, you will start to develop a love for your ancestors, and you will want to know more about them. It’s true! Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Bridges!

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“Genealogies, family stories, historical accounts, and traditions…form a bridge between past and future and bind generations together in ways that no other keepsake can.” –Dennis B. Neuenschwander

I recently read a talk by Dennis B. Neuenschwander. In it he states that we all have keepsakes. Some have furniture, books, porcelain and other valuable things that are passed down from generation to generation. These are important, because they remind us of our loved ones who have passed on and turn our minds to loved ones unborn. “They form a bridge between family past and family future.”
The more valuable keepsakes though are the genealogies, family stories, historical accounts and traditions. These are eternal keepsakes and bind our families together like no other keepsake can.
Each family member has a personal responsibility to be the architect of this bridge for their own family.
He says, “Not one of my children has any recollection of my grandparents. If I want my children and grandchildren to know those who still live in my memory, then I must build the bridge between them. I alone am the link to the generations that stand on either side of me. It is my responsibility to knit their hearts together through love and respect, even though they may never have known each other personally. My grandchildren will have no knowledge of their families history if I do nothing to preserve it for them. That which I do not in some way record will be lost at my death, and that which I do not pass on to my posterity, they will never have. The work of gathering and sharing eternal family keepsakes is a personal responsibility. It cannot be passed off or given to another.
A life that is not documented is a life that within a generation or two will largely be lost to memory. What a tragedy this can be in the history of a family. Knowledge of our ancestors shapes us and instills within us values that give direction and meaning to our lives.”
Thankfully for me I have parents and grandparents who built this bridge for me. I have read stories and know some of the histories of my ancestors (those that were written, and saved). Let’s all build a bridge, we can do it. Do a little each week. Ask your parents if they have any stories of their parents and grandparents they can share. If they’re not written down, do it, write them down! Organize them, so that others can enjoy them. Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): London & Italy.

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Kelsey @ Six-Look at this darling girl!
(Sorry it is alittle out of focus)
Have I ever told you how much I love being a mom? Well, I do. In fact, some of the best entertainment in my life has come from either the things my children have said or the things they have done. I have tried to write down the cute things the kids have said for family to enjoy, as well as the child who said it, in later years. Once when Kelsey was about 6 years old we were planning a family reunion. It was going to be a special one because we were going to a town that was quite significant to my husband’s family. His grandfather was born and grew up there. We were going to travel for a long time to get to the place. We told the kids we were going to Lund through Ely. Now, you have to know this little town of Lund had only a few hundred people living in it. It is south of Ely.
They’re both in Nevada. My sweet little Kelsey told everyone that we were going to London and Italy. So people would come up to me and say “Wow, you have quite a trip planned!” Thinking they were being sarcastic I’d say “Yeah!!!”, and then mention something about the thrill we were going to have in Lund. One lady in particular then told me, “Oh, I thought you were going to London and Italy.” We laughed and laughed. The lady did actually know where Lund was, and had spent time there as a child. Let me just say that Lund and Ely couldn’t be more different than London and Italy. Although I have been to Lund and Ely, and I can’t say the same about London and Italy.
Keep a small notebook near the kitchen or some other area you spend time, and write down the cute things the children say and do. Believe me you’ll be glad you did. If you don’t, you will forget, of this I can attest.

Family History Friday (FHF): Family Trees!

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Like branches on a tree,
our lives may grow in different
directions yet our roots remain as one.
If you are the type that when you see strong families together you feel a pang of jealousy, you need to know that strong families are made, they don’t just happen. I know it is a lot of hard work. Over Labor Day weekend, we were traveling as a family in Southern Utah. In the small town where we were staying with friends, we passed a cabin several times that must have been having a family reunion. There were tents set up all over the side yard, cars from heck to breakfast, and people everywhere. One time we passed the cabin they were all out behind the cabin having a big water fight. I mean everyone, young children, adults, even some folks with gray hair had buckets with water. Everyone was wearing the “red” shirt, I assumed was the uniform for this reunion. I looked on with a big smile on my face, wishing I could put together a shin dig like that. One thing I do know is that if you want to be a strong family, you find what works for your family. We don’t have a cabin. I’m not sure if we would still like each other if we spent 3 days together, but I do know that we can get together for about 2 hours every other Sunday. We have dinner together and celebrate birthdays. I have a great family and even if we can’t have the big reunion with the matching shirts, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. The roots are deep and the tree is strong in this family. Make an effort to get together or plan something that will make your family stronger than ever. Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday: Heirlooms!

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Most people have special things that they have accumulated in their lives. They’re usually calledfamily heirlooms. My parents and their parents are no exception. One thing that my parents did that I will always be grateful for, is this; they divided almost all the heirlooms up about six years ago. After moving from an almost 4500 square foot home to a two bedroom apartment, they didn’t have room for all the stuff, and felt like it was a great time to share with their children, all six of us. Dad opened up the garage and let all my brothers and my husband take a turn picking a tool to keep, till all the tools were gone. Mom, gave us our choice of what we wanted. If I wanted something the most, and no one else cared as much about that item as I did, it was mine. There were things that I wanted, that were not on the top of my list, but they were on the top of one of my brothers list, it became theirs. And guess what? I’m OK with it. Some things, like special pieces, my parents chose who they wanted it to go to. When they’re standing in front of all of you, telling you who they want it to go to, there most definitely won’t be a quarrel. I have heard of families becoming enemies over “things”. My parents are still living six years later, and if you were to talk to them about it, they would say how much they have enjoyed watching us enjoying our heirlooms. If you think of “the grand scheme”, things are not the most important anyway. We can’t take them with us, and they can be lost in the blink of an eye, but the bond of family and the love will last forever, if nurtured. I love my family. Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Mom

Dad

Family History Friday (FHF): Pictures and Shagonaushequay

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One of my ancestors was named Mary Sayer, or at least that was her Christian name. Her Ojibwe name was Shagonaushequay.
The Ojibwe are a Native American tribe that lived, at the time she was born, near the Great Lakes area. Her mother was a full blood Ojibwe named Bwanequay. Her father, John Sayer, was a fur trader from England. It wasn’t uncommon for the fur traders to marry a native woman. First, the native women made great companions. Second, it was helpful in the fur trade, because they could communicate with the trappers, most of which were Ojibwe in that area. Shagonaushequay was married to a man named John H. Fairbanks, also an Englishman. He is a descendant of the Fairbanks who settled in Boston area of Massachusetts, back in the 1600’s. My mom and dad were trying to find the birth and death date for Mary or Shagonaushequay. They weren’t even sure where she was buried. They knew she and her husband lived in a small comminuty called Crow Wing, and they looked in the local archives for any histories of Crow Wing and found a history called “Old Crow Wing”. As they looked through the papers they found some pictures. One of the pictures was an old headstone with the name Mary Sayer written on it. They were able to get her birthday and date of death off the picture. They also found out that she was buried with a daughter. They both died at the same time from TB or something. They had already visited Crow Wing and this head stone was no longer at Crow Wing. We felt like it was a miracle that they found this picture of the head stone that no longer exists. Pictures can be helpful even when we can’t find the information at the location. Happy Family History Friday!
Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Games!

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I try to make Family History fun for the whole family. Sometimes that’s asking a lot. You almost have to get bit by the FH bug to really like it. Like most bug situations, you need to spend time around them (the bugs) to get bit. So if I want my family to like Genealogy/Family History, I need to do it or talk about doing it around them. So I found two ways to do this. I have two fun games that help. One, is my original and one my sister-in-law told me about.

The first one is easy, at least once a week, tell your family a fun story about an ancestor. If you don’t know one, ask your parents or grandparents about their parents or grandparents, then write the story down. It also helps to have a pedigree chart mounted to a wall somewhere, so the family sees how they are related to the person. Once you have several stories in your archive, you’re ready to play. We usually play this game while we’re traveling in the car. Sometimes we even play it on Memorial Day. We visit the cemeteries that our relatives are buried in and talk about them while we’re standing by their grave side. So, I call the game “Name that Ancestor!” Usually I start, I say, for example: “I’m thinking of an ancestor who was a fur trader and wrote a journal.” Then they guess who it is, “John Sayer”.

Fur Traders

They won’t know who it is, unless I’ve talked about that ancestor before. If they guess and they’re right, it’s their turn to give a glue. If no one knows, then it’s a perfect opportunity to tell them the story. Then they will know the next time we play.
The next game is Concentration. This is especially good if those of your family, still living, live far apart from each other. First, get as many pictures of them, living and/or deceased, as you can. They can be small, like a snap shot. Make copies so you have two and you won’t ruin the original. Use tape (packing tape in perfect) or use contact paper and attatch them to a 3×5 card, cut in half or something about that size. I like to use the lids from orange juice concentrate (get it? concentrate?) ha ha. They stack really nice and they fit in a empty tennis ball container. Another twist is to put the picture of the ancestor on one lid and their name on the other lid. They make a match when they find the picture and the name that go together.

We are living in a great time, with many opportunities.

Our ancestors walked the path that made it possible

for us to have all that we enjoy now. I want to at least remember them on occasion, and at most, make their memory a part of my everyday life. Happy Family History Friday!

Love, joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Maps!

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I love maps!! I REALLY love maps. I don’t remember liking geography in school, but I need to know where things are now. If I hear of a place, any place, just talking to people I run into and finding out where they’re from, and I don’t know where it is, I look it up as soon as I can. I have an
atlas by my nightstand!
Does that tell you anything? Thankfully, this is a very convenient thing for doing Family History. When you research a relative you start with what you know, where you know they lived. If, for instance, they lived in a particular area for work, or because they parents lived there for work, they may move if the work is unavailable there.They may move for another reason, like for religious freedom, a common reason people came to the United States. Sometimes they moved, but not far at all, like to the next town or hamlet. It may be only a few miles down the road. When all the places the family has lived are located on a map it is easy to see the overall area or areas the family spent their lives. It gives you a visual of how the family migrated from place to place. When you have a map like this in front of you, you can see new research possibilities come to light. You can see the surrounding cities, counties, parishes, provinces or even countries. Try it! It’s really fun! Happy Family History Friday. Love, Joy