I decided to join the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. The challenge presents a weekly prompt for each week to help focus research and blog posts. I have always done well in follow through when I sign up for a challenge, and look forward to posting at least one blog a week in 2019 focusing on different ancestors and research strategies I have been working on.
The prompt for week 1 is FIRST.
I looked back on my very first blog (Dec 26th 2014) where I explained why I FIRST began to search for my ancestors.
It wasn't until my ancestry DNA results arrived that I was able to confirm that Clyde Robertson really was Max Pellack. I also discovered that he was Ukrainian (as I had suspected) & European Jewish (which was a surprise).
Continuing to research I discovered one of his parents was Ukrainian & one of his parents was European Jewish. They were both practicing Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic.
Connecting with cousins via Ancestry's DNA matching I was able to actually talk to two of my cousins. Both are the grandchildren of grandpa's two older sisters. Between these two cousins they had knowledge of old stories and photos. They also had documents with names, dates, and details. One of them knew about an uncle's visit to Ukraine where he visited the local government office, and was able to confirm my great grandparents residence at the time. Also confirmed was that they owned a flour mill before coming to Canada to be farmers in northern Saskatchewan. He was able to visit with family still living in the area. My great grandfather, his brother and his mother came to Canada. His father, 2 sisters and a brother stayed in Ukraine. One of my great grandmother's sister and her family arrived in northern Saskatchewan to live near her sister. The unknown DNA match mystery was cleared up with records from one of my new cousins. Pulling together all the details from many family members, and a picture begins to form.
I was also given a copy of the book Our Courageous Pioneers : History of Gronlid and Surrounding Districts of Argus, Athol, Edenbridge, Freedom, Maryville, Murphy Creek, Sandhill Creek, Taelman, Taras, Gronlid and District Historical Society, 1991. This huge book has information (current to 1991) about all the families in the area. What a gift from a cousin I didn't know. If you are looking for details that might be in the book comment below, and I will check for you.
Still continuing to search for the family I never knew I had.
What I still don't know is where my grandfather was in the 10 years between leaving home with his birth name and meeting my grandma using his assumed name. Often I am asked if he just changed his name to make things easier in a world that was hard for folks of Ukrainian heritage. That might have been true if he didn't change his birth location too. Max Pellack was born in Gronlid, Saskatchewan, Canada. Clyde Robertson was born in San Francisco, California, United States. It appears as though his birth on the homestead in Saskatchewan was never registered. At a time when many births weren't registered it might have been easier to just become who you want to be. Still I search.
This is why I search -
Cause ...
You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
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