Bradley's First Haircut

Bradley Hunt is turning one years old this Saturday September 18th. He wanted to look good for all his party guests so he decided it was time to get his first haircut.

Genealogy research in many languages

Today I am working on my Swedish branch of my family tree.

Most of the work has been done for me by Elisbet in Sweden.  Each time I begin to work on incorporating her tree into mine I just get tired out.  The reason is the language.  Not only Swedish, I have found most of the source documents are not translated from the native language.  If I was searching for lets say Jan.  Most likely I would not find much if anything.  But if I try a search on Göran, this might be sucessful.  So then Jan Anderson might be found as Göran Andersson.  Simple? Not so fast.  Language isn't just about the spelling.  We also must take into account the meaning.  You just would not translate Björn Andersson to Bear Anderson.

Since I started working on the family tree I found that I needed the skills to be able to translate many other languages into English.  I have been learning French, German, Russian, Maltese, Yiddish, Portuguese, and Swedish.  I have found the google translator helps, however it isn't perfect.  Atleast it gets you somewhere.  One thing that I want to share with you that I found very helpful for Swedish was how to learn to use my keyboard.  See the issue I was having was that even though the Swedish language is similar to the English alphabet, there are three more letters: å, ä and ö. These are at the end of the alphabet.   Here is how you get these letters on your keyboard using the ALT key.  First you hold down the ALT key then on the number pad type the three digit number.  For MAC users see below for Mac:

å	Alt key and 134  å is pronounced as 'o' in 'boring' or 'au' in 'laundry'
Å	Alt key and 143
ä	Alt key and 132  ä is pronounced as 'a' in 'mad
Ä	Alt key and 142
ö	Alt key and 148  ö is pronounced as 'i' in 'bird or 'ea' in 'earn
Ö	Alt key and 153
ø	Alt key and 0248
Ø	Alt key and 0216

Other special letters for you

Ç - ALT-128     è - Alt-138     ö - Alt-148    P - Alt-158
¿ - Alt-168      ¡ - Alt-173
ü - Alt-129       ï - Alt-139      ò - Alt-149     ƒ- Alt-159
é- Alt-130        î - Alt-140      û - Alt-150     á - Alt-160
 â- Alt-131        ì - Alt-141      ù - Alt-151      í - Alt-161
ä - Alt-132      Ä - Alt-142     ÿ - Alt-152      ó - Alt-162
à - Alt-133      Å - Alt-143     Ö-Alt-153       ú - Alt-163
å - Alt-134       É - Alt-144     Ü - Alt-154     ñ - Alt-164
ç- Alt-135        æ - Alt-145     ¢ - Alt-155     Ñ - Alt-165
ê - Alt-136      Æ - Alt-146     £ - Alt-156      ª - Alt-166
ë - Alt-137       ô - Alt-147      ¥ - Alt-157      º - Alt-167

Mac Users

As a Mac user you need to use your "option" key.
For instance ö is achieved by holding down the option key and the "u" key then type the "o". When you do that nothing appears until you type the 'o'. To get å, you hold down the option key and type the "a".

ä = option and u then the a
ë = option key and u then the e
ü = option key and u then another u

ø = option key and o
é = option key and e
ê = option key and i then the e
â = option key i and then the a
ô = option key and i then the o

There are many more helpful hints for Swedish at: 
Learn Swedish

California Farms of the 1920's

After writing the blog about the Marques family, immigrant farmers from Portugal.   I realized that they are five generations from little Bradly Hunt. Augusta was Eleanor's grand mother, and Eleanor is Sherina's grandmother.  So that makes Augusta Bradley's,  great, great, great grandmother.
When I think of immigrant farm labor of the 1920's in California, I think of the great John Steinbeck novel, "The Grapes of Wrath".  Man's inhumanity to his fellow man. Steinbeck consistently and woefully pointed to the fact that the migrants’ great suffering was caused not by bad weather or mere misfortune but by their fellow human beings.  Living in Sacramento myself, I know a little bit about the history of the cannery.  Over 100,000 migrant men and women workers were employed packing cans of fruit and sugar beats.  In sociology classes I took at The University of California at Davis, we were taught about Chavez and the Mexican Migrant.  Steinbeck wrote about the displaced farm belt families of Oklahoma.  Researching the Marques family was the first I had read about all the immigrants from Portugal.

Have we come very far in the past ninety years?  If you didn't read my blog, check it out under the Ginn pages.

What is it to be an Immigrant

Being able to trace your ancestry to an immigrant of the Mayflower, is like having a sliver from the true cross where Jesus died.
This past weekend marked nine years since 3,000 people lost their lives in New York and Washington D.C., many of whom we can claim as Americans. One thing I remember about that day and the days following was how that tragic event brought Americans together. Everyone was wearing the flag of the United States. The flag of our stars and stripes was hung from every freeway overpass. Patriotism was all around you. Today Islamophobia is replacing homophobia as our outlet for hate. Americans and the Tea Party wannabes want you and I to believe that the President of the United States is a: Terrorist-coddling, Warmongering, Wall Street-Loving, Socialistic, Godless MUSLIM.
One of America's greatest strengths has always been taking in immigrants from cultures around the world, and assimilating them into our country as Americans; thus united we our stronger. By being citizens of the U.S. we are Americans first, and only, in our national loyalties. This feeling, this movement of Nationalism did not last long.
I was attending Ventura College at the time. I remember a group of students on the campus called MEChA. They were often holding rallies on the campus, speaking of La Raza and waving flags of Mexico. Another movement was starting. First State, then Federal government began building walls between Mexico and the United States; not just physical walls to keep immigrants out but social walls of discrimination.
Not too many months back I was counted for the fifth time in my life on the Census of the United States.
There were ten questions in all. This comes to my attention because most if not all of the source documents I and other genealogical researchers use, is derived from the Census data that is collected every ten years.
In 1790 the United States took its first Census. The surname and first initial of the head of the house was taken, and dash marks were placed for how many free white men there were in the household. To date the United States has now completed twenty-two counts. Each one being different from the prior. Out of the ten questions on the current 2010 Census, two questions, number eight and nine are concerned with your racial and cultural heritage. Question number eight had five questions within that question. This question wants to know if the person identifies with Spanish, Mexican, Latin, and so on, it actually said “and so on”. Question number nine gave other racial groups only one box to check. I chose White, but does that really say who I am?
Mexico is celebrating this week, 200 years of independence from Spain and 100 years since the Mexican revolution. The actual date is September 16, 1821; the war between the colonies of Mexico and Spain began in 1810. I make this comparison, as Mexico’s war was not unlike the war between the Colonist of New England and Britain or any other war to gain freedom and independence.
There have been so many wars, and so many more reasons for our ancestors to immigrate to new lands that this history is what makes the genealogy all that more interesting.
So follow me on my journey back home as I attempt to tell the whole story.

I Had A Dream

A week or so back I got very involved in my family tree project and I guess I was not sleeping well. I was remembering my childhood at the age of eight years when I first started genealogy in school. My father Donald Howie had an old box of photos from his father William Rider Howie. I looked through all those old black and white photos and tin type photos of days gone. I also ran across some old newspaper clippings of obituaries. One of them was from a newspaper in Montreal Canada. It read to my memory "Montreal's oldest living resident Jane Howie passed away". It was a typical obituary for the day. It described her life, her faith in God and her family. At that time I had asked my dad about her, however he didn't know who she was. The clipping went back in the box never to be seen again, but not out of mind I guess. So the other night I awoke thinking about this clipping and if this could be a possible link to my roots. I quickly sent an email to my mother June Howie. Unfortunately she either had never seen the article that I was describing or had forgotten it. Since there is no one I could turn to so that I could get the information I needed, I had to begin a very thorough research. Using both ancestry.com and the internet I was successful. There is a very useful website called Interment. In 2005 they went to each cemetery and wrote down a description of the name, location and a database of each headstone which is still intact. Each of these data bases are too large to place in my blog. So just click on the link and search yourself. I have found Howie's, Lorimer's, and England's to mention a few. I was then able to have some more data to then look through Church records and Census records. Soon look for the Howie Page on the left to see what I found on Jane Howie.

History or mystery

Hi my name is Richard Howie.
I am going to use a blog name Rich Sueco from here on.
I have been getting very excited about the details on my family ancestry.  I recently dug  out my family tree.  I have been climbing this tree on and off since I was eight years old.  I thought I just wanted to update some new leaves that have sprouted recently to the Howie family branch.  Ultimately I would say that I was inspired after watching a new NBC TV series called, "Who do you think you are."  That TV program pointed me to ancestry.com.   Where I found that genealogy online has greatly improved and I was hooked. www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/

I want to share with you my journey back home.
At this point I am going to keep the blog private to family members only.
Later as I learn more about the social networking community I may open
this blog to the public.

Home and general store for sale

Ruth Augusta England was my Grand Mother and she was married to Grandpa William Rider Howie.  Her marriage to Mr. Howie took place August 19, 1916.
The obituary that was written in the Stanstead Journal on Thursday, SEPTEMBER 12, 1935 is attached and here is the transcription:
The Stanstead Journal
ROCK ISLAND, (STANSTEAD) QUE., THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 12, 1935
MRS. WILLIAM R. HOWIE

Well-Known Beebe Plain Lady Suddenly Stricken by Appendicitis

Many friends were deeply grieved by the death of Mrs. Willaim R. Howie (Ruth Augusta England) of Beebe Plain, Vt, which occurred at the Orleans County Memorial Hospital Newport, Vt., September ninth.

After feeling especially well on Thursday, Mrs. Howie became ill on Friday and on Saturday morning was removed to the hospital, where an appendicular operation was immediately performed. Afterwards the patient rallied strongly, but became worse the following morning. In the afternoon she appeared to be decidedly better, but became weaker on Monday, and at four in the afternoon lapsed into unconsiousness, her death occurring at 11 o'clock that night. She suffered great pain during much of her brief illness. Althought the appendix had not burst it was in an unusually serious condition, and her death is understood to have been directly due to peritontis. Mrs. Howie's youngest son, Robert Rae, had just emerged from a long illness, measles having been followed first by whooping cough, then bronchitis, the pneumonia, and lastly by water on the lungs. Doubtless his care had seriously taxed the mother's strength.
Mrs. Howie was formerly Miss Ruth Augusta England. She was born in Dunham, Que, August 1, 1895, being the eldest daughter of Rev. C. P. and Bettie M. (Smith) England, the latter being a native of North Pinnacle, Missisquoi County.
She graduated from Coaticook Academy in 1912, taught in Dixville one year, graduated from Macdonald College in 1914, then taught at Beebe two years.
Her marriage to Mr. Howie took place August 19, 1916, and the family home has since been in Beebe Plain. Mrs. Howie is survived by her husband, four sons, Clarence William 16, Arthur England 15, Donald James 8, and Robert Rae 3; three daughters, Helen Ruth 18, Grace Marion 12 and Dorothy Mae 9, also her parents C.P. and Mrs. England, now of Watsonville; one sister Esther England, who teaches at Inverness; two brothers, Gordon and Arthur England, at home.  Francis England, a brother, was accidentally shot by a companion while out looking after traps, Dedember 5, 1925.  Another brother had previously passed on.  You can read the rest in the attached above link.

Her father, Clarence Philo & Nettie Smith were my Great Grandparents.  Clarence was the youngest of four children of Philo England (1833-1916) & Margaret Ruiter(1832).  If you know the date of her death please comment below. His siblings were, James Emerson England, Philip, Maude Elizabeth.  Philo England (1833-1916) my Great-Great Grandfather had many siblings.  I am blogging here today on just one, and that is his brother Israel (1821-1911).  Their father was Frederick England (1789 - 1878) & mother Ruth Elizabeth Richardson (1794 - 1881).  Ruth is a descendant of the Richardson's of Vermont.  Also another blog so keep checking back.

Now as I mentioned above, I am only blogging here today about Philo Englands' brother Israel, even though Philo had other siblings.  I will later dedicate a family page to the England's where I will go into more detail.  Israel and his son had a general store on the England Block of KNOWLTON, QUEBEC, from 1880 until his death in 1911. If you click on this link it will take you to the England Block which is currently called Lake Street. On that map the store, "Israel & Son" is building number six. The current owners have owned the England store for 21 years. They call it ENGLAND HILL.

England Hill is currently up for sale.

Family Photo Colage

Bradley Hunt Birthday

Bradley is so exited that he is turning one years old?

Printing in Vermont

Printing has long been a profession of our ancestors.   Currently Ronald F. Ginn is employed as a printer.  He learned this profession from his father  -in-law Donald J. Howie.  However, William R. Howie was the first in the family line.

A newbie by settlement standards of the east coast, Vermont has an early history of printing. The oldest newspaper was the Vermont Gazette, published in Westminster from 1781 to 1783 by Alden, Spooner, & Green. Interestingly, the printing press used was the first one brought to the colonies from England in 1683. The oldest continuously published family-owned newspaper in the country is the Rutland Herald, covering the entire state since 1794. Newspaper publishing was centered in four locations: Bennington, Brattleboro, Rutland, and Burlington. Most towns in Vermont had their own local newspapers by 1830, which corresponds with the peak population of rural Vermont towns.

The Serpent of Lake Memphrenmagog

THE SERPENT OF LAKE MEMPHREMAGOG  

The Memphremagog Monster, 1917. (Source: J. M. Currier, Uriah Jewett and the Sea Serpent of Lake Memphremagog Matthew Farfan Lake Memphremagog is located partly in Canada and partly in the United States. Europeans have been living around the lake for only the last two centuries; before their arrival, the area was occupied by the Abenakis, the indigenous people who gave the lake its name, which roughly translates as "beautiful waters."  The lake is steeped in legend. One such legend pertains to a creature that is said to inhabit the depths beneath Owl's Head Mountain. According to a document from 1816, when the first settlers arrived from New England, the Native people told them that they were afraid to bathe or swim in the lake because it was inhabited by a sea serpent.   Over the past two centuries, more than 225 sightings of the monster have been recorded. One of the earliest reports dates to 1847 when The Stanstead Journal proclaimed that "a strange animal, something of a sea serpent... exists in Lake Memphremagog." Known in the past by such names as the "Sea Serpent," "the Anaconda," or "the Lake Memphremagog Monster," in recent years, the creature has been affectionately dubbed "Memphré."  I have attached a link to the above website. Our family comes from this area of Quebec, Canada. The Howie, England, Rider, and Lorimer Families to mention a few, can trace their roots to the Europeans who started out around this lake.  William Rider Howie was born in a bay on Lake Memphremagog.  In the town of Fitch Bay. As its name suggests, Fitch Bay is Located near a bay on Lake Memphremagog.  This community began its development in the Mid-Nineteenth Century. One possible solution was to build a canal linking Lake Massawippi Fitch Bay to promote the circulation of small steamers. In 1881, Ftich Bay has three churches, three stores and a population of 300 inhabitants. Near the village, Highway 247 South, we find a Covered Bridge (Narrows Bridge) built in 1881 by Charles McPherson. It is a length of 28 meters and in good condition.  This bridge replaced the first bridge built on the conventional "Narrows" in 1802 to facilitate the connection between Georgeville and Stanstead Plain.  Because the wooden bridges had a limited service life due to weather which hastened the decay, covered bridges seemed the best solution. Note also, in the heart of the village, the St. Matthias Anglican Church in neo-Gothic style built in 1889.