Proudly Celebrating 50 Years

Memory 17: Michele Bewley (#3392)

  

The need to know our roots seems to be a human need embedded in our DNA – just open the book of Genesis and for pages one reads a summary about who begat who. 

  

For anyone whose ancestors were fortunate enough to own a bible or possessed the ability to read, families added their lineage in the front pages. Unfortunately, many of one’s early ancestors had neither. 

  

In 1976 US Bicentennial and the television premiere of Roots took genealogy from being predominantly upper-class pursuit to an everyman – and woman’s - obsession. Around this time the US post office provided free one-page family group sheets the size of a placemat. My parents knew little about their ancestral lines past their parents, so, using the post, mailed the form to my aunt who it turns out was just as obsessed was me with history. Her goal however was not to be Holly Hobbie but to be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. My aunt was member #207 of the Western New York Genealogical Society, joining in 1977. For 50 years WNYGS has been instrumental in uniting families to their ancestral identities. I now understand that institutions such as WNYGS are mostly fueled by love – the love of genealogy and the kindness of its volunteer members who have offered their precious time to share what they have learned with those who asked for their help. 

  

Nobody I have ever met begins knowing everything about genealogy, and many of those just starting out may feel like they have nothing to offer WNYGS, or don’t feel they have the time to spare. With all the exciting discoveries happening these days, thanks to technologies like digitization, DNA and AI, a group like WNYGS is needed more than ever to inform and inspire. No commitment will ever be too small to a group fueled only by its members volunteering. I send my thanks to WNYGS for helping launch my genealogical journey!

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Memory 16: Brian Cotton (#3512)

  

A LONG QUEST

  

It is all of seventy years since I first saw photographs of my father’s cousin (Annie) who had been born in England but was said to be living in the United States. One of the pictures had her posing with the Captain of the British R100 Airship. This led me to believe that Annie and her husband must have had some standing in their community. Later, when I had been bitten by the family history bug, it gave me geographical pointers to Montréal in Canada where the craft had been moored and the date: 1930. 

  

The next step, although I did not fully appreciate it at the time was when one of my cousins in Australia told me that his father (my father’s brother and a prolific letter-writer) used to write to a relative in Buffalo. Did that ease the search? Only up to a point: do you know how many Buffalos there are in the world? Once I had found half a dozen I stopped counting! That hint had not got me very far at the time, other than raising my anxiety levels, that is! 

  

The next development was when I found I had a hitherto unknown cousin in New Zealand. On one of her trips to London, she told me her late father used to write to his sister in Buffalo, NY. My spirits lifted: I thought I was getting somewhere. My cousin told me that this relative was married to a car dealer and had a ‘Dutch-sounding name.’ Sometimes seemingly hot clues drive you backwards and I have spent much time and treasure in hot pursuit. In this case pursuing Buffalo’s Dutch-sounding Ford dealers! I am afraid for a time I was putting a number of WNYGS members through some hoops as they tried to help. And at one stage I was planning a trip to Buffalo to see the records and directories at first hand. I even pulled in aid some of my Canadian relatives. 

  

The fact was, though, I was some distance away from my target and, it could easily have remained so. It was a recent DNA analysis that saved the day (and an expensive air trip). Through tree matching I have found relatives of Annie scattered in other parts of the USA, But to my surprise it turned out that it was not Buffalo where I needed to look initially, it was to be in Canada, in Montréal no less. The ‘tree-matching.’ results showed that throughout her married life, Annie had assumed the forename of Nancy. It was our Nancy Archdekin who told me that this forename was once a popular derivative of Annie. I thought I had not been aware of that but then I recalled that my mother’s cousin, Nancy, had been baptised as Annie. (A tip worth the remembering for some, maybe). 

  

But it was the Canadian connection that floored me. My late wife was born and brought up on the Island of Montréal, indeed we married there in 1965. And, would you believe it, we had on several occasions walked down the street where the 1921 Canadian Census identified Annie/Nancy as living. 

  

After we married we established our home in the UK, but of course over the years we had family visits back to Montreal and many Canuks dropping in on us at our UK homes over the years. If only I had known of this Canadian connection earlier. Our relatives and friends would have been so helpful had I known more at the time. Another coincidence is that in World War I Annie’s husband served as a radio officer in the (Canadian) Mercantile Marine and later carved a career for himself in broadcast radio. That's pretty much what I did, too!! 

  

My message to you: keep at it, clock every titbit you get and above all question your cousins and aunties very closely. Above all stay in membership of the WNYGS, it pays off in the end, believe me!!

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Memory 15: William Martin

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Hello, my name is Bill Martin and ancestor hunting has become a passion. Two categories are at the top of my search list.  

  

Finding otherwise unknown burial sights  

  

Finding photos of ancestors. Members of this group have been more than gracious in helping me. Pictures are very different to locate but it's extremely satisfying to be able to put a face to a name. My efforts continue as I am hopeful that pictures are in boxes somewhere.  

  

I'll tell you about burial site findings of my Great grandparents Henry and Margret Martin.  

  

A member of this group suggested that I contact Mount Calvary Cemetery Group for help in finding Henry. Since several of his children are interned in one of their cemeteries and he being an immigrant from Germany, I focused on United German and French Cemetery. Nice lady there found a church record from St Michael's Church and she located Henry in an unmarked grave in UGFC. I was saddened that Margret was not with him but pleased to discover that he was buried next to his sister in her family plot. Eventually I did find Margret in the graveyard of St Mary of the Assumption church in Lancaster with a marker. Such a beautiful discovery. Lastly, Henry and Margret had a farm in Lancaster. The building that was the schoolhouse for the children of farmers, including Martin ancestors is still standing but now a private residence. The owners invited me in. Standing in the place that my grand aunts and uncles were taught was such an amazing experience. 

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Memory 14: Shirley Vivion

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I met Rhonda at the NYG&B Family History conference just after we visited the library and let her know how helpful the staff at the library was.  I found a newspaper article that helped verify a descendant of my 3x great grandparents from Sardinia. Rhonda was busy presenting, so I didn't have a chance to ask about the pronunciation... :)

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Click to see previous Member Memories (#1-13, January-March 2024)

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