SATURDAY NIGHT GENEALOGY FUN

This is my first foray into Saturday Night Genealogy Fun hosted by Randy Seaver @ Genea-Musings .
I often see the topics and don't have anything to add to them but this Saturday night is different. Here is the topic for this week. 

What is the Nicest Thing another genealogist did for you, or to you, in the last week or so? (If you have no examples for this past week, go back in time - surely someone has done a nice thing for you in recent years!).

I don't have anything recent but several years ago I was contacted by my second cousin, Maureen. I didn't even know she existed as I was very early into my research. We agreed that the connection was there in the family tree and exchanged notes and details. I thought I had won the lottery because she had so much more information than I did. 

Then it came. It came in the mail. A large manila envelope heavy with family photographs. Photographs of people who I had never seen before. My family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents. Oh my, the photos it contained. 

You can get information and details, dates and places and names but when you see a photo of your blood family from a time long before you were even born it changes you. It connects you to a whole world of people. It grounds you and it is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in the genealogy world. 

Thank you Maureen. 

I was so lucky to meet Maureen in person for a lovely lunch. She lives about 5 hours away from me. When I look at her I see my mother and my aunts faces too.  

MARIN BOUCHER- 8TH GREAT GRANDFATHER

Genealogy is synonymous with sharing I think. How lucky for me to find the site of a generous  researcher, Michel Robert. 
Michel has done a great deal of research that includes one set of my 8th. great grandparents. He was even in France and has photographed the original home of theirs from the 1500's. 
His web site is full of interesting genealogy research, photos and facts. I really had little on my relative other then an approximate birth date in France and the names of both his wives and 8 of his children. He generously allowed me to use his photographs in this post.

La Barre home of Julienne Baril and Marin Boucher. Handed down in her family.
 

Marin Boucher was born around 1589 in Mortagne, France. He married his first wife Julienne Baril in February of 1611. Their son Francois married Florence Gareman in 1641 making them 7th great grandparents. I don't have the names yet of any more of their children but Michel says there were

After the death of Julienne in 1627 Marin still lived in the house in France that had been handed down through the Baril family. I don't  have any records of the other children from his first marriage but Michel states there were 7 in all baptized in St. Langis all said to be from La Barre which is how the family house was referred to noting the great grandfather of Julienne whose surname was Barr.

Being left with young children it was imperative Marin marry again and he chose Perrine Malet. With her he had 7 children one of which became one of my 7th great grandmothers, Madeleine Boucher.

St. Langis, church where Marin Boucher's children were baptized. 

I have had this happen several times in my tree where I am connected not only through a married couple but also through more than one of their children who end up connected to me down the line. Inbreeding at it's best. 
There is much more I could add but I don't want to simply post a copy of Michel's own research. He has worked very hard on gathering so much personal information. You should have a look at his site, Genealogy of New France in North America. It is bursting with information, maps, passenger lists.

KREATIVE BLOGGER AWARD

Linda @ Flipside is a sneaky one for sure. Yesterday I awarded her blog the Kreative Blogger award in recognition of her many interesting and creative posts on her site. She has done amazing research on her family trees and posts such interesting things. 
Now Linda knows I have two blogs and she turned around and gave the award right back to me for this blog. Ha, sneaky I told ya! 

Well thank you Linda. It is appreciated. I will list the 7 things asked for but I will not select 7 more recipients as it was hard enough the last time. Not that there aren't many who deserve it but there are many who have award and tag free blogs. 

7 Things About Me

1. I am so into genealogy that I will look for stuff for anyone. 
2. I often solve  brick wall in my research in the middle of the night when I roll over in bed.
3. I had an uncle who did nothing but research every day in the archives in Ottawa and never shared a word of it with any of the family. (okay not really about me I know)
   
4. I have to use a calculator to work out dates and ages because I can't do math in my head. Even simple ones. 
5. I proved we were Metis when I did my mother's side of the family. It was not something they were proud of in the past but my sisters and I are very proud. 
6. I have developed an interest in history since starting genealogy because now I can relate it to real people. I think this is something the schools could use to their advantage. 
7. I think people who do genealogy are always the most generous, kind people out there. They share such fabulous information and photos with complete strangers. I like to think I am the same.
   

METIS VETERANS MEMORIAL

 I post this with the permission of the Metis National Council. I think it is an important honour for our Metis veterans who have served our country. Lest we forget.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Métis Veterans to be Honoured at Juno Beach
Ottawa, ON -- Métis Nation veterans, youth and dignitaries will travel to the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France next week to dedicate a memorial to Métis who served in the World Wars.
“We all owe a debt to the Métis Nation citizens who fought, who were wounded and who died defending their people, their country and world freedom,” said Métis National Council President Clément Chartier. “This memorial will help ensure their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
The memorial will include an exhibit highlighting Métis culture, the contributions of Métis soldiers, aircrew and sailors during the World Wars and will feature a Red River Cart, one of the most widely recognized symbols of the Métis Nation.