Letters From Home: The Effects of War on the Home Front

In previous posts, I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora. As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of Mae and her family thus far, take a moment…

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Letters From Home: Dad is Home Again…

In previous posts, I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora. As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of Mae and her family thus far, take a moment…

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Letters From Home: Who is Johnnie?

In a previous post, Letters From Home: Mae McKenzie I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora. As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of…

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Wordless Wednesday: Orlie Charles McKenzie and the Bear

This picture is of my great grandfather Orlie Charles McKenzie, with an unknown friend, very proudly displaying a bear that one of them had shot. The photo was most likely taken in Montmorency County, Michigan, and was given to me by my grandmother Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie. Orlie Charles McKenzie…

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Faught Lake: Could it be Foch Lake?

In an earlier blog post called Road Trip Through Our Family History, I mentioned some photos that I found labeled as Faught Lake. If you remember the photos also suggested that this lake was named after my 2nd great grandmother Mary Anna Faught. Since I found these photos and wrote the previous…

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Finding George Faught

George Faught, my 3rd great grandfather, was born on July 12, 1837, in New York, the youngest child of Lawrence Faught and Bridget Fogarty. By June 11, 1860, George was living with his mother Bridgette and two older siblings William and Ann in Lexington, Sanilac, Michigan. George’s father Lawrence had passed…

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McKenzie Schoolhouse: Two Brothers, One Schoolhouse and Years of Memories

I referenced a photo I found of an old water pump that sits on the original of the McKenzie Schoolhouse, in a previous blog post called Road Trip Through Our Family History. In today’s blog post, I will provide additional details about the McKenzie Schoolhouse and it’s wonderful history and connection to my McKenzie family. Jeremiah McKenzie and…

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Road Trip Through Our Family History

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….

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Mary Anna Faught: One Tough Lady

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…

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Thriller Thursday: Brother Shoots Brother

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,…

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Tombstone Tuesday: McKenzie Family Reunion at Briley Township Cemetery

There is one cemetery that I have visited more times than I can count. The cemetery is the Briley Township Cemetery in the village of Briley in Atlanta, Montmorency, Michigan. Briley Township Cemetery I had visited this cemetery many times as a child, but once I really found my passion…

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