Not once, but twice the William Hawley family was devastated by fire. The logging industry was a primary industry in Northern Michigan in the late 1800s and early 1900s. William Hawley’s family was no exception. William moved his family from upstate New York to Long Rapids Township, Alpena County, Michigan…
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…
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…
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…
My great grandmother, Mae Arla (King) McKenzie would have been 116 years old today. In celebration of her birthday, I would like to share a letter written by her to her daughter Cora. Several of these letters, as well as cards and photos, were given to me a couple of…
This isn’t the first time that my great grandfather, Orlie Charles McKenzie, has appeared in a “Thriller Thursday” post. Unfortunately, in this post, things don’t turn out well for Orlie. The story I am going to share today has been repeated many times in my family. There is a little…
Most of the time every family story has a kernel of truth, even if it is the smallest crumb. The trick is following the trail of crumbs to the truth. Below are a few steps that I have used in the past to help me find and follow the crumbs…
Background In My last blog post, Charles at Large: The Search for Charles Hawley, I wrote about my great granduncle Charles Hawley and his disappearing act in the summer of 1910. As I have written about before, I have been doing significant research into Hawley DNA connections. This research has led to…
Orlie Charles McKenzie – WW1 Military Photo Friday, April 7th, 2017, was the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War 1. This got me to thinking about my great grandfather Orlie Charles McKenzie, who served in the 330th Field Artillery, Battery C, which was a part of the 85th…
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to share the ancestor’s behind my Irish DNA. Based on my Ancestry.com DNA results, I am 31%, Irish and Scottish. To honor my Irish ancestors, let’s start with a traditional Irish blessing May the road rise to meet you. May the wind…
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King’s Men; Patriots called them “persons inimical to the liberties of America.” They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution. – …
A strong woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks used to block her path Every once in a while, I have one of those days that remind me that no matter what I am going through, I come from a long line of very strong women. I…
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…
Benjamin Burt is my 7th great grandfather. He and his wife Sarah (Belden) Burt were forced to endure a terrifying and unthinkable ordeal during the winter of 1704. In this blog post, I will share their story. I will admit ahead of time, that a large part of the information…
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…
