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…
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…
Tom Orlando McKenzie (February 13, 1960 – November 6, 2014) Every Father’s Day is special. A day to show your father how much you care. This year is very tough for me because this is the first Father’s Day that my dad Tom McKenzie will be spending in heaven. There…
I referenced a photo I found of a lilac bush, in a previous blog post called Road Trip Through Our Family History. In today’s blog post, I will share with you the beautiful and sad story about the planting of this bush and the continued impact that it has had on…
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,…
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….
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)…
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…
I, like many genealogists, can find myself getting lost in my research. Spending many hours in a library, family history center or searching online. Something that I need to remind myself of is that genealogy research is about family! This means that is should not be solo research, or at…
My McKenzie family has experienced two significant losses over the past year and seven months. My paternal grandmother Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie passed away on August 26, 2013, and my father Tom Orlando McKenzie passed away on November 6, 2014. Both my father and his mother were amazing people that…
