I referenced a photo I found of my grandmother Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie standing next to a sign for “The Witness Tree”, in a previous blog post called Road Trip Through Our Family History. In today’s blog post, I will provide additional details about William Burt and explore a possible family connection. First,…
Sylvester P. Mason was born on about 1815 in Danube, Herkimer, New York. His father’s name was George Mason.On June 23, 1834, at the age of 19, Sylvester enlisted in the U.S. Army in Albany New York. Sylvester P. Mason enlists in the U.S. Army on June 23, 1834, in Albany, New…
I referenced a photo I found of the Niergarth schoolhouse, in a previous blog post called Road Trip Through Our Family History. Today’s blog post will provide a little more information about how this country schoolhouse played a part in the life of my Great Grandmother, Lavina Hawley. Lavina May…
I remember a trip took when I was young, 1988 based on the photos, with my parents and grandparents (Alexander and Edna McKenzie). We often took long drives, sometimes to find that “perfect garage sale”, sometimes just to drive. On this trip, we visited several places in and near Montmorency County, Michigan….
Mary Anna Faught was born in Bridgehampton, Sanilac, Michigan on January 18, 1870, the first and only child of George Faught and Elizabeth Miller.  The family was enumerated on the 1870 census living in Bridgehampton. George is a farmer and Elizabeth is at home keeping house and taking care of her…
I had my DNA tested through Ancestry.com in 2014. As I think most genealogist would agree, the possibility of finding family connections based on shared DNA is an exciting prospect. On the other hand, staring at a list of almost 3,000 DNA matches ranging from my paternal uncle to a…
Sarah Ann Healy (1851 – 1919_ Sarah Anne Healy was my second great grandmother. She was born around 1851 in Ireland. Sarah immigrated to the US from Ireland when she was in her late teens in order to avoid being sent to a convent.  This story was told to me by Edna Jean (Burt)…
Donald McKenzie (1787 – 1874) Donald McKenzie, my 4th great grandfather was born in Scotland in 1787. He married Mary Catherine Clunas on May 30, 1812.  That same year Donald and Mary, immigrated from their home in Scotland to New York and lived there for a short time. Donald and his wife…
Margaret “Maggie” McKenzie was born on April 23, 1849, in Ontario Canada the eldest daughter of Donald S. McKenzie and Sarah Maria (Biggar) McKenzie. On December 18, 1873, she married David Clark in Blenheim, Kent, Ontario, Canada. Between 1874 and 1889, Maggie and David had seven children: Garnet Wolsley Clark born August 20,…
Michael King was my paternal 6th great grandfather. Born in Philadelphia, York County, Pennsylvania to Philip and Catherine King in 1741. I think every genealogist dreams of finding an ancestor that was alive during such a historically significant event as the Revolutionary War (1775 – 1782). I haven’t yet found…
I am introducing a new blog series today! Family Story Friday. This is where I will share your stories, so keep them coming. Today’s blog post is a story told by my mother Linda (Royer) Szymanski about her father Alfred Joseph Royer. I don’t ever remember my parents living in…
Wedding photo of my 3rd Great Grandparents Richard Watchorn and Elizabeth (Howley) Watchorn. Wedding photo of Richard Watchorn and Elizabeth (Howley) Watchorn. Richard and Elizabeth were both born in Ireland in the 1820s and immigrated to Canada in the 1840s, where they raised their nine children. I haven’t had the…
Sharing a story about my grandfather Alfred Joseph Royer in my last blog prompted my “aunt” Robbie, who is technically my maternal first cousin 1x removed, to share a story of her own. I love hearing the family stories please everyone keep them coming….. Please contact me if you have…
If you had an opportunity to read my last blog post “Thriller Thursday: Brother Shoots Brother” you will remember that I shared a story about two brothers that weren’t really “feeling the love” to say the least. Today, I would like to take the opportunity to share a different type…
This article found in the August 21, 1936 edition of The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan) describes an incident between my great grandfather Orlie Charles McKenzie and his brother Lawrence C. McKenzie. The article states that Lawrence McKenzie, age 34, was being held in the Montmorency County jail in Atlanta, Montmorency,…
