November 14, 2012
The paparazzi… Needless to say, there is a third family member (me) taking the photo. But what I could not document in this shot of my brother and his eldest child—due to tight angles and wild dancing on the part of even more family members at a raucous get together this past summer—is my father on the opposite side of the room also taking photos.
So are there any hobbies (like photography) that your family gravitates toward?
Happy hunting,
Jess
November 7, 2012
Somebody’s got a birthday this month… He’s the one that gave it the title, “Wanna Rock.” I could be wrong but I believe that this lovely ensemble hung out in a front closet through a good portion of my childhood. I don’t know who the other guys are but the dude in the Nehru jacket with the guitar…. Yeah, that’s my dad!
Happy hunting!
Jess
November 6, 2012
This week’s photo is one for from our Ontario roadtrip. This is a memorial for William and Martha (Ward) Garbutt. While I haven’t figured out the details of how or when, my 2nd Great Grandmother Flora Massey lived with the Garbutt family for a number of years before she married. She was a witness at the wedding of their 5th child Sarah Garbutt to William Buckburrough. She was enumerated with them in the 1881 Canadian Census as Flora Garbutt. And in 1885 she married Mary (Garbutt) Packer’s brother-in-law, Cornelius.
There is a lovely photo postcard that many of my cousins have posted to their Ancestry.com trees of “Grandma Garbutt” at the age of 94, addressed to “Curly and Flo”—my Cornelius and Flora.
The monument is located in section F, Row C, number 4 at Hillview Cemetery on 5th Street, on the southeast side of Woodstock, Ontario. The other two sides have inscriptions for John Garbutt, their son, and their son-in-law Robert Porter.
Happy hunting,
Jess
October 31, 2012
I honestly don’t know what this was for… though the Packers have quite a collection of photographs of people dressing up in some way or another. But this is definitely my 2nd Great Uncle Arthur (James Arthur Packer) who served in World War I, made saxophones and in 1951 walked my Grandmother down the aisle.
Happy Halloween!
Cheers,
Jess
October 30, 2012
Since I omitted it from my post on the first day of our roadtrip, this is the tombstone of Captain Harry Alison, patriarch of the Alison family and the unofficially named Captain’s Alison’s Settlement which sprung up around his lots in Warwick Township of Lambton Co, Ontario in the 183os.
Harry was born in Perth in 1775 and when his father died young he was sponsored by an uncle who sent him to St. Andrews with plans for him to become a solicitor. But, unhappy with the profession, he left service at the end of his requisite period and relocated to London with plans to join the Army. With the aid of a well-placed relative he was given and ensigncy in the 93rd Highlanders. When the 90th Highlanders were reformed under, Major Rowland Hill, Harry came on as Paymaster and served for near 30 years.
In that time he married Francis Sinclair and had a family of nine born all over the world, including Ireland, the West Indies, France, and the Ionian Islands.
He bought out around 1830 and petitioned the Crown for land in Upper Canada (Ontario), and eventually established the family in Warwick Township.
His children were:
Harry served as a Justice of the Peace for nearly 25 years. He died in North Duoro where he spent the last few years of his life as part of the household of his son-in-law William W. Nichols. He was buried in St. Paul’s Cemetery.
The marker reads:
In Memory of Captain Harry Alison, late of H. M. 90th Light infantry. Died January 11, 1866 ae 92 years. Also his wife Francis Sinclair died December 16, 1867 ae 80 years.
Happy hunting!
Jess
A long obituary on Harry posted in The Volunteer Review and Military and Naval Gazette (Ottawa, Canada, Monday, 11 Feb 1867) and in the The Peterborough Review around the same time. Also, the Crown Land Petitions and British Regimental Histories add more information on Harry’s military career.
October 24, 2012
We’re closing in on Halloween so here’s a blast from my past. My brother in I in 1982… clowning around.
Happy hunting!
Jess
October 23, 2012
This is the final resting place of my 5th Great Aunt (by marriage) and 1st cousin six times removed Julia Ann Helsel and her husband Henry L. Helsel. She was the daughter of my 6th Great Uncle Jacob Helsel and Elizabeth Shanks. She married her first cousin on May 15, 1845 in Portage, Ohio and the couple moved to Algoma Township, Kent County, Michigan to build their home. Julia had four children before her early death in October of 1854, 158 years ago this week. She is buried in Algoma Cemetery.
Happy hunting,
Jess
October 17, 2012
One of this intrepid trio turns 35 today! Happy birthday to my slightly younger, but now hulking, younger cousin!
These are the three oldest Grandchildren of William and Ethel Johnson. I’m the middle child of the bunch by about 5 months. This was taken at my grandparents’ home on Main St in Rockford, Michigan (which backed up to the Rogue River) around about 1979 or 1980.
Happy hunting,
Jess
October 16, 2012
I love the detail in this stone—between the branch design and the square and compass symbol marking G. N. Shaw a Freemason—and the details in the picture with the tipping stones in the background.
This is the marker for the final resting place of George N. and Sarah (Johnson) Shaw in Rockford Cemetery, Rockford, Michigan. George was the son of Sisson and Sophia (Rounds) Shaw. We’re not directly related but the Shaw family intertwines with most of the early Algoma Township families including the Helsels, Houses, Morningstars, and Rectors.
Happy hunting,
Jess
October 10, 2012
I cannot express how much I love this shot! Grandma all dressed up and and Daddy looking too cool for college in front of his Duster. This was taken on the campus of Michigan State University around 1973.
Genie Road Trip 