Shock & Halloween ~ Electa Graves

Shock is the prompt for this week. 

It's also Halloween tomorrow.

Who better to present then my two 4th cousins X2 removed named ELECTA GRAVES. 

The name would only have been better if there was an R - I had been searching for an ELECTRA in our tree - ELECTA is close enough.

The last name GRAVES meant they were the perfect ancestor to feature this week.

May I introduce you to my 4th cousin X7 removed

Electa Graves
BIRTH 19 NOV 1762 • Belchertown, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 27 JUN 1766 • Belchertown, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

The next child born after Electa died was a girl born in 1768, and they named her Electa as was common practice at the time. 

My 4th cousin X7 removed

Electa Graves

BIRTH 9 JAN 1768 • Belchertown, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

DEATH 14 AUGUST 1848 • Charlemont, Deerfield Valley, Massachusetts, USA

The 2nd Electa married my other 4th cousin X7 removed who also happened to be her 2nd cousin

Aaron Lyman

BIRTH 1 OCT 1760 • Belchertown, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

DEATH 14 AUG 1845 • Charlemont, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

Their great grandparents were:
Benjamin Lyman

BIRTH 10 AUG 1674 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

DEATH 14 OCT 1723 • Northhampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

and

Thankful Pomeroy

BIRTH 31 MAY 1679 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

DEATH 18 SEP 1773 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA

It is at this point that I can no longer tell you exactly how I am related to either of them because I am also related to Thankful in addition to Benjamin Lyman. 

I am also fairly confident I am related to Electa via her father's Strong line. Her connection to husband Aaron is via her mother's line. 

As I was digging I also found the name PARSONS who I wrote about for 2019's Halloween post that you can find here:
Witches, Witches, Everywhere ~ My relatives: Mary Bliss Parsons & Sarah Lyman Bridgman

Each generation has names that are repeated over and over again in our tree making it difficult to ensure new folks are actually new.

When your family tree wraps back and forth as only a Bramble Bush can! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photo:

Halloween Pumpkin Jack-O'-Lantern, Retrieved October 30th 2021 from
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/halloween-pumpkin-jack-o--lantern-2837936/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

Olympic Champions ~ We Are Not

Sports - I could go looking through my tree to find a famous athlete related to our Bramble Bush, but instead I am going to tell you a tale about the competition between my husband and I over the past 29+ years. 

Early on in our relationship we were not competitive at all.  

I'm not sure when that changed, but it really did.

At one point I pondered if it was unhealthy the competition that began as soon as any type of sport was involved. 

Then I realized it wasn't real competition. 

It was just FUN & GAMES!

We weren't really competing. 

We were just having a little good natured fun.

This became obvious the day I realized we were competing while bowling.

Neither of us broke 100, but you would have thought we were Olympic champions the way we were behaving.

Our children are better bowlers that we are. 

In fact both of them are very skilled at any sport they try. 

When your children seem to have not taken after you at all! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

Updated DNA Results ~ Valhalla Awaits

I am a fan of change. I know there are folks who don't like change. They prefer to have things stay the same. I am not one of those people. I feel that change is good. It's healthy to change things up every now & then. 

It wasn't too long after we moved in together that my husband discovered I like to change furniture around - a lot! Over the almost 30 years we have been together he has been a willing participant. 

Recently we attempted to change things in our living room and dining room only to discover that the current configuration is all that works with the current furniture. We only discovered this by attempting to shuffle everything before moving it all back to exactly where it started. 

If we are going to change things up we will have to purchase all new furniture. We aren't quite ready to do that so for now things stay the same. 

Recently I got an email from Ancestry DNA letting me that my DNA story had been updated. 

When I opened Ancestry DNA I discovered my husband's had as well. 

The changes weren't dramatic, BUT as you can see we now have more Viking in our DNA results - VALHALLA AWAITS!!!

My first results (or maybe they were also an updated result:

The lack of Irish in my first DNA results had me wondering about what became the Lake/Cannon mystery (My great grandmother Nellie May Cannon's paternity). 

My results before the newest update:

The 4% Irish that appeared in the update above (and remains below) wouldn't have resulted in my questioning what eventually became what looks like a NPE (non parental event).

My updated results:

My husband's results before the update: 

Even less changes in my husband's, but as you can see his previous minimal Viking (2%) has now increased to 6%

In looking at the changes in the DNA results I wondered why the results changed when the DNA didn't change. The explanation from Ancestry 

"AncestryDNA® ethnicity estimates now provide even greater precision.

DNA science is always improving, and we're proud to announce our latest ethnicity estimate update. We've added new regions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas in our most precise ethnicity estimates yet." 1

That makes sense.

Taking delight in the discoveries! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1 Ancestry DNA results. Retrieved October 15th 2021 from 
https://www.ancestry.ca/dna/lp/ancestry-dna-ethnicity-estimate-update

DNA results:

Ancestry DNA. Retrieved October 15th 2021 from Ancestry person account

Photos:

Viking Ship. Retrieved October 15th 2021 from 
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/viking-ship-drakkar-sailing-6366228/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

Preserving the Memory ~ A Special Place to Remember

It's already Week 40 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021) Challenge. 

To be honest I can't believe that 2021 is almost over.

In January the Coronavirus Pandemic will have been occurring for 2 years. By March we will have been in some sort of isolation measures for 2 years. In some ways time is dragging, and then I realize that time is zinging by with little things to mark the passage of time.

A few month ago I noticed the toothpaste tube needed to be replaced. I was only partially kidding when I asked my husband if he was eating it. I was pretty sure I had just replaced it a few weeks earlier. When the next change had me feeling the same way I realized that the only proof that time is passing is the empty toothpaste tube. 

Many years ago my dad told me "once the toothpaste is out of the tube you can't put it back in". He's right!

Time continues to march on, and yet there is nothing happening to mark it. 

What does this have to do with PRESERVATION?

In July my aunt died. I wrote about her in
A Trip Home ~ A Death in the Family

The pandemic resulted in not being able to connect before, during, and after her death.

No celebrations of life. 

No friends & family togetherness. 

How exactly do you have a place to come together, mourn, and remember in the midst of a pandemic. 

How do you preserve her memory forever?

Her family found a perfect place for this beautiful memorial bench & plaque (both made by a family member). 

Gone, but not forgotten.

Memorial Bench at Auntie Bobbi's favourite hiking spot
(those are her windchimes)

A daughter’s love
Auntie Bobbi's shoes, socks, hoodie, jacket, and pack made the climb!

Mother/Daughter time
YES ... those are her mom's shoes - really!!!

Shared with me: That was not an easy hike. I can't believe mom did that almost everyday. 

Auntie Bobbi was very active & fit. 

Little ones remember Auntie Bobbi
What a view from her memorial bench

A bike ride & a visit with Auntie Bobbi

Daughter & friends raise a glass

Creating this memorial in this beautiful location is perfect.

This was one of Auntie Bobbi's favourite hiking spots. 

There are so many photos of her in this area. 

So many photos of her sitting on benches that are near her newly built memorial bench. 

Enjoying a bevie on a nearby bench - Auntie Bobbi & her bestie

All season bench near her memorial bench
Auntie Bobbi & her bestie

She will never be forgotten.

Auntie Bobbi's bench will give hikers a spot to rest. 

Many will take a moment to remember. 

Others will wonder who she was. 

All will enjoy the comfort & beauty. 

I can hear her now - sit your ass down!

Gone, but never forgotten.

Auntie Bobbi near her memorial bench

Auntie Bobbi near her memorial bench

Auntie Bobbi & her bestie near her memorial bench

Auntie Bobbi would love that before you can sit & remember you must hike. 

Auntie Bobbi loved hiking.

Preserving the memory of those we love! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Belong to family & friends

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

Canada's 1st National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ~ Tiny Shoes on Steps

*** Trigger Warning ***

If you need support reach out to the 24 Hour Crisis Line Indian Residential School Survivors and Family: 1-866-925-4419 ************

My bestie is originally from Newfoundland. 

She has been living in British Columbia for many years. 

This year she was visiting family for Canada's 1st National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th 2021.

 Mikwite’tm Garden, Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada

Along with the photo above she messaged  that it
"was very humbling and special to be apart of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in my own indigenous community". 

Qalipu women smudging ceremony

The event took place at the Mikwite’tm Garden, built by Qalipu First Nation in memory of missing and murdered indigenous women.  A more  powerful location for this first year of reflection couldn't be found.

Mikwite'tm Garden — the name translates to "I remember"

My bestie is from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. Her family has long been members of the Qalipu First Nation. Her family has lived in that area for many generations. There is little doubt her family of origin carries the legacy of residential school. 

In May 2021 the unmarked graves of 215 children were found on the grounds of a former Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The school operated from 1890 to 1969 as a residential school, and 1969 to 1978 as a day school. 

Over the following few months more than 1300 lost children would be found in unmarked graves on the grounds of 4 Western Canada former Residential Schools. 

Children who never got to go home. 

Children who never got to grow up. 

Children who could never find their way back to share in a Truth & Reconciliation ceremony in their own indigenous community as my bestie did. 

The families and communities of these lost children are broken. 

The legacy of the residential school stands today. 

Before Reconciliation must come TRUTH! 

On May 31st 2021 my husband and I visited the memorial on the steps of the courthouse in our community. 

We both work in fields where we have learned about Residential Schools. We have both attended training sessions to understand the impact of colonialism on the populations we serve. We thought we understood what had happened when we headed to the memorial.
We thought we were prepared.

We each placed a pair of tiny shoes on the steps as symbols for the two boys we got to keep and raise. Two small pairs of shoes on the steps alongside all those shoes. Each pair representing a child. 

Standing at this memorial with tears streaming down my face I realized I never understood & no matter how hard I try I will never begin to understand what happened or how it happened. 

We stayed there rooted to the spot. Unsure how we could walk away leaving those children alone. The shoes standing vigil for the spirits of the children. After a very long time we slowly walked away while looking back at those shoes. 

How could this have happened in the country we know as Canada?

"There may be reasons why they wouldn't record the deaths
properly and that they weren't treated with dignity and
respect because that was the whole purpose of the
residential school ... to take total control of Indian children,
to remove their culture, identity and connection to their family," 

 1  ~Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Director of the

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre   

This is my reflection on Canada's 1st National Day for Truth and Reconciliation!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1 Dickson, Courtney & Bridgette Watson (27 May 2021). Remains of 215 children found buried at former B.C. residential school, First Nation says. CBC News. Paragraph 19. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from  
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tk-eml%C3%BAps-te-secw%C3%A9pemc-215-children-former-kamloops-indian-residential-school-1.6043778

Sources:

Canadian Press. (29 May 2021). Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children. BBC News. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57325653

CBC Kids News. (31 May 2021). WShoes honour loss of 215 children at former residential school. CBC Kids News. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from 
https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/shoes-laid-to-honour-the-loss-of-215-children-at-former-residential-school

Davis, Wynne. (29 May 2021). The Remains Of 215 Indigenous Children Have Been Found At A Former School In Canada. National Public Radio (npr). Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/29/1001566509/the-remains-of-215-indigenous-children-have-been-found-at-a-former-school-in-can

Dickson, Courtney & Bridgette Watson (27 May 2021). Remains of 215 children found buried at former B.C. residential school, First Nation says. CBC News. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tk-eml%C3%BAps-te-secw%C3%A9pemc-215-children-former-kamloops-indian-residential-school-1.6043778

Gilmore, Rachel. (15 September 2021). Mapping the missing: Former residential school sites in Canada and the search for unmarked graves. Global News. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://globalnews.ca/news/8074453/indigenous-residential-schools-canada-graves-map/

Greenpeace Canada. (2 June 2021). 215 Children. Greenpeace. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/story/48616/215-children/

Honderich, Holly. (15 July 2021). Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children. BBC News. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57325653

Mosby, Ian. (1 August 2021). Canada’s Residential Schools Were a Horror. Scientific America. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/canadas-residential-schools-were-a-horror/

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Government of Canada. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

Paperny, Anna Mehler. (29 May 2021). Remains of 215 children found at former indigenous school site in Canada. Reuters. Retrieved September 30th 2021 from
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/remains-215-children-found-former-indigenous-school-site-canada-2021-05-28/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________