Tombstone Tuesday - Harry A. PALMER

Harry A. Palmer

I missed Tombstone Tuesday last week, it was a busy week.  Here is one of the last Palmer tombstones that I have from the Berwick cemetery.  Harry A. Palmer is Robert’s 1st cousin 3x removed.  He is the son of Handley Palmer and Martha Sanford.  Harry died at a young age.  When I did a web search for Harry in Family Tree Maker, it came up with an interesting result from “The Register, Berwick, Kings Do., Nova Scotia  1914”  

“Palmer, Harry A., 22 years, raised by Handley Palmer, Mosherville, Hants Co., formerly of Rockland, NS, died Westfield, NB 4 Feb 1914. [11Feb 1914 see Killed on the Track].”

This looks like it could use some further investigation.  Is Harry the son of Handley Palmer? What happened on the track?

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day

Hope all the Father’s have a wonderful day with their families.  In honour of father’s day here is Robert’s and my paternal lines.

Robert

Robert Foster, His Dad, Howard Ingram Foster (1912-1991), Ingram Morton Foster (1880-1965), Joseph Morton Taylor Foster (1833-1892),  Isaac Foster (1806-1882), Benjamin Foster (1782-1882), Benjamin Foster (1755-1842),  Isaac Foster (1728-1819), Benjamin Foster (1689-1760), Jacob Foster (1662-1745), Isaac Foster (1630-1692), Reginald Foster (1595-1681)

Jacqueline

Jacqueline Foster, Maurice Cumberland Paterson (1928-2007), Johnston Cumberland Paterson (1889-1969), Francis Paterson (1851-1923), Johnston Paterson (1814-1891), James Paterson

Surname Saturday - My Finnish Roots

My Finnish roots are from my Mom’s paternal side.  Her father was born in Hansboro, Rolette,Towner, North Dakota December 9, 1906. Fridjof Jaakko Waldemar Makie (Fritz) was the son of parents of Finnish heritage.  His father was Jaakko Makie Makela (Jack Makie) born 1883 in Finland.  His mother was Carolina Honkawaara (Liina Waara) born 1887 in Oscar, Michigan, USA. My confusion comes from all these different names.  To find any records you have to do some creative searching.  

I’ve have found very little about the Makie side except Makela, Maki, and Makie means of the hill.  I have found a little more on the Honkawaara (Waara) side.  My best information was a book on the area they lived in Saskatchewan.   “The Echos of Coteau”  published by the Coteau History Commitee in 1981.  I was able to borrow the book through inter-library loan for a three week period, no renews. I discovered stories and connection to grandparents, great grandparents, ggreat  grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Most of the stories were written by my great aunt, Velma Deydey (my grandfather’s sister).

Liina Waara parents were Sakris Honkawaara and Britta Riekki from Finland. They immigrated in 1885 (although I have not found any records to date) with their children Mary, Anna Kaisa, Charlie, and Sakris.  Two more children were born in Michigan, Liina and Johanna.  The family lived in Michigan, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan.  The Finnish seemed to be a tight knit group with neighbors showing up in census records in the different areas.  So if you’re having difficultly finding your relative, look at neighbors who may have an easier surname or an area of Finns.

I have a lot of research to do on my Finnish side. Although history books don’t have citations to sources, they give you great clues to family connections and stories to help round out your ancestors.  Records won’t be able to  tell me that:
- my great great grandparents grew their own tobacco and lived in a sod shanty.
- my great great grandmother smoked a corn pipe and made “Fiillia” (yogurt).
- my great uncle Charlie was a drummer, casket maker, and woodworker.
- that my great uncle Charlie’s wife, Olga was born without one arm, but never let it hold her back
- how my cousin Acel came to live with my great grandparents after his mother died of the Spanish Flu.
- my relative celebrated “Vappu” in May and “Juhannus” in June.

To learn more about the Finnish in Saskatchewan look on the Saskatchewan Gen Web.
“Vappu” and “Juhannus” celebration explanations are found on Wikipedia - Walpurgis Night, look under Finland.
To find where you may borrow “The Echoes of Coteau”  Library and Archives Canada
To learn more about North Dakota look on the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

The novel “Rope of Time” by Larry Warwaruk is a great book to get an idea of the Finnish   immigrants who came to United States and then on to Saskatchewan, Canada.  If you wish to get a copy you can probably find one on Abe Books.

Wordless Wednesday - Who's Taking the Picture?

Paterson

I think this photo was taken about 1919.  Left to right, my grandfather (Johnston Paterson) it looks like he was about to take a picture, I'm not sure who the lady is behind him, I'm not sure of who is in the uniform, in the back is my grandfather's sister (Christina), and on the far right, Christina husband, Lionel Monypenny.

Tombstone Tuesday – Isaiah PALMER

Isaish Palmer

I have yet another photo of the tombstone of one of Robert’s 2^nd great grand uncles.  These Palmer’s are all buried in the same area in Berwick cemetery.  Isaiah Palmer is the son of Thomas Palmer and Margaret Ann Nichols.   He married Victoria Rebecca Sanford 25 Oct 1886.

A little birdie told me to tweet.

After reading numerous articles on blogs, magazines, and new letters about the advantages of twitter for genealogy, I started an account.  It was fairly easy.  You just need a user name, e-mail address, and password. I found it easier to set up and design than my blog. The hard part is to figure out what to do, now.  I’m sure, like blogger, I’ll figure more out as I go along.  Linking my blog post to twitter was super easy.  Thanks to those little buttons at the end of the blog post.

I found that a great place for the basics is my usual place I go to learn something new.  Google books.  A couple of the books have screen shots and step by step instructions on how to set up an account.  Although most are only previews, they still have lot of information.  If you want to read the whole book, you can always buy your own copy or borrow a copy from the library.

Tombstone Tuesday – Ambrose & Sarah PALMER

Ambrose and Sarah Palmer

It’s Tuesday once again, and I have another Palmer from the Berwick Cemetery.  Ambrose Palmer was the son of Thomas Richard Palmer and Margaret Ann Nichols.  This would make him one of Robert’s 2^nd great grand uncles.  Ambrose married Sarah Chute in 1882.  The tombstone is hard to make out, probably due to my picture taking skills or lack of them.  I’ll need to practice more.   Ambrose died Sep 06 1914, Sarah died Feb 08 1949.