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My sister Marianne (in her stroller) with our maternal cousins from southern Ontario, (left to right) Janet, Chuck, Nancy and David, in Timmins, Ontario, summer of 1961.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: Going for a Stroll
My sister Marianne (in her stroller) with our maternal cousins from southern Ontario, (left to right) Janet, Chuck, Nancy and David, in Timmins, Ontario, summer of 1961.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
My sister Marianne (in her stroller) with our maternal cousins from southern Ontario, (left to right) Janet, Chuck, Nancy and David, in Timmins, Ontario, summer of 1961.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
2 Down, 4 To Go: My Genealogy Bucket List
According to Urban Dictionnary, a “bucket list” is a list of things to do before you die.
When I compiled my genealogy bucket list last year, I didn’t realize how soon I’d get to complete two items on my list. I can now check off two wishes and work towards the remaining four.
1. I want to visit the places where my Dad lived as a child. I want to see if the streets he lived on still exist in Ottawa and Montreal. I also want to visit Chapeau, Quebec where his mother Julie was born and where her parents had a farm.
2. I want to visit the Quebec cemeteries where some of my ancestors are buried, like the ones in Ste-Cécile-de-Masham (for the Belair side) and Chapeau (for the Vanasse side).
3. I want to research at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, because it has genealogical material from around the world in that one location.
√ 4. I want to meet Elizabeth Shown Mills, one of today’s distinguished genealogists and historians.
(On May 8th, I attended Miss Mills’ “The GPS in Action” lecture at this year’s NGS Conference, and afterwards went up to the podium to ask her a question.)
√ 5. I want to attend a national genealogy conference like the National Genealogical Society’s annual conference. Doing so would give me a chance to meet with other people who share my interests, to hear professional speakers, and to learn about new techniques, methods and resources.
(My husband and I flew to Las Vegas, Nevada on May 7th to attend our first (and hopefully not our last) NGS annual conference. It was everything I thought it would be – I met lots of people, I heard awe-inspiring speakers, and learned current and valuable information. I enjoyed my time there so much (we were there until May 12th) that I didn’t want to leave!)
6. I want to move back to Ontario in eastern Canada so that I can be close to the towns where my parents lived, close to important libraries and archives where I could research, and close to where I grew up and lived.
Tell me ... what’s on your genealogy bucket list?
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
When I compiled my genealogy bucket list last year, I didn’t realize how soon I’d get to complete two items on my list. I can now check off two wishes and work towards the remaining four.
Yvonne’s Genealogy “Bucket List”
1. I want to visit the places where my Dad lived as a child. I want to see if the streets he lived on still exist in Ottawa and Montreal. I also want to visit Chapeau, Quebec where his mother Julie was born and where her parents had a farm.
2. I want to visit the Quebec cemeteries where some of my ancestors are buried, like the ones in Ste-Cécile-de-Masham (for the Belair side) and Chapeau (for the Vanasse side).
3. I want to research at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, because it has genealogical material from around the world in that one location.
√ 4. I want to meet Elizabeth Shown Mills, one of today’s distinguished genealogists and historians.
(On May 8th, I attended Miss Mills’ “The GPS in Action” lecture at this year’s NGS Conference, and afterwards went up to the podium to ask her a question.)
√ 5. I want to attend a national genealogy conference like the National Genealogical Society’s annual conference. Doing so would give me a chance to meet with other people who share my interests, to hear professional speakers, and to learn about new techniques, methods and resources.
(My husband and I flew to Las Vegas, Nevada on May 7th to attend our first (and hopefully not our last) NGS annual conference. It was everything I thought it would be – I met lots of people, I heard awe-inspiring speakers, and learned current and valuable information. I enjoyed my time there so much (we were there until May 12th) that I didn’t want to leave!)
6. I want to move back to Ontario in eastern Canada so that I can be close to the towns where my parents lived, close to important libraries and archives where I could research, and close to where I grew up and lived.
Tell me ... what’s on your genealogy bucket list?
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Happy Victoria Day!
Happy Victoria Day to my Canadian readers!
Photo source: W. and D. Downey / Library and Archives Canada / C-019313
Victoria Day, also known as Sovereign’s Birthday, has been celebrated in Canada since pre-Confederation days.
This year marks the 168th anniversary since the holiday was first observed in 1845.
The day used to be celebrated on May 24, Queen Victoria’s actual date of birth, but in 1952 a federal statute established Victoria Day on the Monday before May 25.
The holiday began as a way of honouring young Queen Victoria, but in time it became Canada's official day to mark the birthday of our current monarch, Elizabeth II.
For more information, see “Victoria Day” at Canadian Heritage.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
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| H.M. Queen Victoria |
Victoria Day, also known as Sovereign’s Birthday, has been celebrated in Canada since pre-Confederation days.
This year marks the 168th anniversary since the holiday was first observed in 1845.
The day used to be celebrated on May 24, Queen Victoria’s actual date of birth, but in 1952 a federal statute established Victoria Day on the Monday before May 25.
The holiday began as a way of honouring young Queen Victoria, but in time it became Canada's official day to mark the birthday of our current monarch, Elizabeth II.
For more information, see “Victoria Day” at Canadian Heritage.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sentimental Sunday: Goodbye, Aunt Norma
Aunt Norma, my Mom’s second youngest sister, died two weeks ago on 5 May 2013. I found out about her passing the morning after her death, as I was preparing to leave for the NGS 2013 Conference in Las Vegas. I immediately sent a condolence message to her son, my cousin Richard. Mom was deeply saddened by this unexpected news. She hadn’t seen her sister in over 20 years (Mom lives in British Columbia, while Normande lives in Ontario), although they spoke on the telephone.
This past Thursday, Richard called Mom to let her know about his mother’s last days. He explained that her Roman Catholic French-speaking parish priest administered the last rites, that she was conscious, and that she was surrounded by her children at the end. He also told us how he stayed by Normande’s side for 30 hours until she closed her eyes one last time, and that he made the arrangements for his mother's wake and funeral. Although Mom felt emotional listening to Richard’s words, she was grateful that he took the time to personally call her.
Normande, or Norma as she was also known, was born on 12 January 1937 in Rouyn, a mining community in northwestern Quebec, Canada.1 She received the names “Aline Normande Laurette” at her baptism three days later at Cahtédral Saint-Michel Archange in Rouyn. Her godparents, Paul Samuel and Laurette Coursol, along with her father Eugène, signed the parish register.2
Eugène was the town’s chief of police.3 He and his wife Juliette, who celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary the previous summer, were the parents of seven living children (six daughters and one son).
I’ve written about Aunt Norma here, here and here.
In the spring of 1957, Norma married Howard Handy in Sarnia, Ontario. They had four children: Brian, Michael, Julie, and Richard. My cousin Brian, who was two months younger than me, passed away in 1979; Uncle Howard passed away in 1984.
I’ll never forget my aunt. She was tall (she and Aunt Jeanne d’arc were the tallest of the Desgroseilliers sisters), beautiful, always prettily dressed and coiffed, and a happy and smiling woman.
Goodbye, dear Aunt Norma.
Sources:
1. Paroisse Cathedral St-Michel Archange (Rouyn, Quebec), Sacramental Certificate, 1987 (privately held by Yvonne Demoskoff, Hope, British Columbia), Aline Normande Laurette Desgroseillier [sic] birth and baptism certificate (1937 baptism); issued 1987, citing the parish register. Although Normande was born on January 12th, she celebrated her birthday on February 12th.
2. St-Michel-Archange (Rouyn, Quebec), parish register, 1937, no page number (entries are entered in chronological order), entry no. B.17, Aline Normande Laurette Desgroseillier [sic] baptism, 15 January 1937; St-Michel-Archange Jean-Baptiste parish; digital image, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 10 April 2011). Normande’s baptism record states her date of birth.
3. St-Michel-Archange, parish register, 1937, no page number, Aline Normande Laurette Desgroseillier [sic] baptism, 15 January 1937. Normande’s baptism record states her father’s occupation. Eugène was employed as chief of police in small communities located in northern Ontario and northern Quebec from about 1927 to about 1940.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
This past Thursday, Richard called Mom to let her know about his mother’s last days. He explained that her Roman Catholic French-speaking parish priest administered the last rites, that she was conscious, and that she was surrounded by her children at the end. He also told us how he stayed by Normande’s side for 30 hours until she closed her eyes one last time, and that he made the arrangements for his mother's wake and funeral. Although Mom felt emotional listening to Richard’s words, she was grateful that he took the time to personally call her.
Normande, or Norma as she was also known, was born on 12 January 1937 in Rouyn, a mining community in northwestern Quebec, Canada.1 She received the names “Aline Normande Laurette” at her baptism three days later at Cahtédral Saint-Michel Archange in Rouyn. Her godparents, Paul Samuel and Laurette Coursol, along with her father Eugène, signed the parish register.2
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| Normande (right) with her sister Jeanne d'arc, about 1946 |
Eugène was the town’s chief of police.3 He and his wife Juliette, who celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary the previous summer, were the parents of seven living children (six daughters and one son).
I’ve written about Aunt Norma here, here and here.
In the spring of 1957, Norma married Howard Handy in Sarnia, Ontario. They had four children: Brian, Michael, Julie, and Richard. My cousin Brian, who was two months younger than me, passed away in 1979; Uncle Howard passed away in 1984.
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| Normande and Howard on their wedding day, 1957 |
I’ll never forget my aunt. She was tall (she and Aunt Jeanne d’arc were the tallest of the Desgroseilliers sisters), beautiful, always prettily dressed and coiffed, and a happy and smiling woman.
Goodbye, dear Aunt Norma.
Sources:
1. Paroisse Cathedral St-Michel Archange (Rouyn, Quebec), Sacramental Certificate, 1987 (privately held by Yvonne Demoskoff, Hope, British Columbia), Aline Normande Laurette Desgroseillier [sic] birth and baptism certificate (1937 baptism); issued 1987, citing the parish register. Although Normande was born on January 12th, she celebrated her birthday on February 12th.
2. St-Michel-Archange (Rouyn, Quebec), parish register, 1937, no page number (entries are entered in chronological order), entry no. B.17, Aline Normande Laurette Desgroseillier [sic] baptism, 15 January 1937; St-Michel-Archange Jean-Baptiste parish; digital image, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 10 April 2011). Normande’s baptism record states her date of birth.
3. St-Michel-Archange, parish register, 1937, no page number, Aline Normande Laurette Desgroseillier [sic] baptism, 15 January 1937. Normande’s baptism record states her father’s occupation. Eugène was employed as chief of police in small communities located in northern Ontario and northern Quebec from about 1927 to about 1940.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Scenes from the NGS 2013 Conference
The following photos were taken by my husband Michael during our stay at the LVH Hotel & Casino for the NGS 2013 Conference.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
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| Attendees at the Conference check-in desk |
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| Waiting for the start of the Conference's Opening Session |
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| Family Chronicle and Internet Genealogy magazines booth (I'm on the right) |
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| A view from our hotel room on the 19th floor looking southwest |
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| Dick Eastman (left) presenting an iPad Mini (door prize) to Michael at Dick's EOGN Saturday night dinner |
Monday, May 13, 2013
My Impressions of the NGS 2013 Conference
I’m back from the NGS 2013 Conference!
It’s been 24 hours since my return home and I’m still on a “genealogical high”. It was an exhilarating experience and my mind is full with all manner of information and details.
From the moment my husband Michael and I arrived Tuesday afternoon at the LVH Hotel and Casino where the Conference took place to when we left Sunday afternoon, I felt like I was home, among my own kind – me and about 2000 other genealogists and family historians.
I met attendees from Canada, like Ruth Blair of The Passionate Genealogist and Louise St-Denis of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. (Louise and I are both originally from Timmins, Ontario, Canada. It was a lot of fun reminiscing with her about our old home town.) I also met people from all over the US, from California, Colorado, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
Here is my by-the-number summary of the Conference.
Thirteen Sessions
I planned on attending twelve sessions, but added an extra one (“Cloud Genealogy” with Shamele Jordon) once I was at the Conference.
Ten Books
As well as purchasing magazines, booklets and miscellaneous items from the exhibitors and vendors, I bought ten books (including Mastering Genealogical Proof, graciously signed by Thomas W. Jones, The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, by Val D. Greenwood, First Metis Families of Quebec 1622-1748 (Vol. 1), compiled by Gail Morin, and The Forts of New France in Northeast America 1600-1763, by Marc Picard).
Six Tips
These are some of the best (paraphrased) tips I picked up during the lectures.
1. Don’t make genealogy harder than it is.
2. Don’t assume; keep an open mind.
3. Don’t blindly trust what you read (not even things written by experts, says Elizabeth Shown Mills).
4. Consider the whole record or document, not just the portion of interest.
5. Work systematically and efficiently.
6. If you can’t get to the records or documents you need (say, because of distance), find someone reliable who can.
Five Photos
A selection of photos that my husband took during the Conference:
Four Speakers
It wasn’t possible to meet and chat with all the speakers during the Conference, but I had the chance to ask questions and say how much I enjoyed the presentations of four of them: Elizabeth Shown Mills, Thomas W. Jones, Judy G. Russell and Warren Bittner.
Two Best Moments
Even though I got a lot out of all the sessions, I got the most from “Planning “Reasonably Exhaustive” Research" and "Proof Arguments".
It was reassuring to hear Thomas W. Jones explain that it’s not necessary to use an infinite number of sources in order to carry out ‘reasonably exhaustive’ research, as long as all likely relevant or potential sources are used to answer our question or reach our goal.
I also appreciated how Warren Bittner took a step-by-step approach to show how to use logic and common sense when writing a proof argument. (It’s a lot easier than I thought it could be and now I’m looking forward to trying my hand at writing proof arguments.)
One Door Prize
Michael won a door prize during Dick Eastman’s (Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter) Saturday night dinner: an iPad Mini! Thanks, Dick, for such a generous prize and for hosting a great dinner.
But, what I‘ll remember most about my first NGS conference is
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
It’s been 24 hours since my return home and I’m still on a “genealogical high”. It was an exhilarating experience and my mind is full with all manner of information and details.
From the moment my husband Michael and I arrived Tuesday afternoon at the LVH Hotel and Casino where the Conference took place to when we left Sunday afternoon, I felt like I was home, among my own kind – me and about 2000 other genealogists and family historians.
I met attendees from Canada, like Ruth Blair of The Passionate Genealogist and Louise St-Denis of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. (Louise and I are both originally from Timmins, Ontario, Canada. It was a lot of fun reminiscing with her about our old home town.) I also met people from all over the US, from California, Colorado, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
Here is my by-the-number summary of the Conference.
Thirteen Sessions
I planned on attending twelve sessions, but added an extra one (“Cloud Genealogy” with Shamele Jordon) once I was at the Conference.
Ten Books
As well as purchasing magazines, booklets and miscellaneous items from the exhibitors and vendors, I bought ten books (including Mastering Genealogical Proof, graciously signed by Thomas W. Jones, The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, by Val D. Greenwood, First Metis Families of Quebec 1622-1748 (Vol. 1), compiled by Gail Morin, and The Forts of New France in Northeast America 1600-1763, by Marc Picard).
Six Tips
These are some of the best (paraphrased) tips I picked up during the lectures.
1. Don’t make genealogy harder than it is.
2. Don’t assume; keep an open mind.
3. Don’t blindly trust what you read (not even things written by experts, says Elizabeth Shown Mills).
4. Consider the whole record or document, not just the portion of interest.
5. Work systematically and efficiently.
6. If you can’t get to the records or documents you need (say, because of distance), find someone reliable who can.
Five Photos
A selection of photos that my husband took during the Conference:
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| Entrance to the Exhibit Hall |
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| Randy Seaver (of GeneaMusings) and me |
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| Mariachi Los Bravos, who performed after the Opening Session |
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| Randy Seaver and Leland Meitzler (of GenealogyBlog) |
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| Dick Eastman (top right) with some of his guests at his Saturday night dinner |
Four Speakers
It wasn’t possible to meet and chat with all the speakers during the Conference, but I had the chance to ask questions and say how much I enjoyed the presentations of four of them: Elizabeth Shown Mills, Thomas W. Jones, Judy G. Russell and Warren Bittner.
Two Best Moments
Even though I got a lot out of all the sessions, I got the most from “Planning “Reasonably Exhaustive” Research" and "Proof Arguments".
It was reassuring to hear Thomas W. Jones explain that it’s not necessary to use an infinite number of sources in order to carry out ‘reasonably exhaustive’ research, as long as all likely relevant or potential sources are used to answer our question or reach our goal.
I also appreciated how Warren Bittner took a step-by-step approach to show how to use logic and common sense when writing a proof argument. (It’s a lot easier than I thought it could be and now I’m looking forward to trying my hand at writing proof arguments.)
One Door Prize
Michael won a door prize during Dick Eastman’s (Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter) Saturday night dinner: an iPad Mini! Thanks, Dick, for such a generous prize and for hosting a great dinner.
But, what I‘ll remember most about my first NGS conference is
- meeting people who share my interest in genealogy,
- attending lectures given by genealogy experts,
- learning techniques, methods and skills, and
- feeling validated as a genealogist – even though I don’t have CG after my name.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Tombstone Tuesday: Maurice Belair
Two days ago on Sunday, I posted my father Maurice Belair’s obituary. Today, I follow up that post with a scanned image of his gravemarker. Dad is interred in Our Lady of Good Hope Roman Catholic Cemetery in Hope, British Columbia.
Dad's gravemarker reads:
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
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| Maurice Belair gravemarker |
BELAIR
Maurice Belair
1927 – 1996
Safe In The Arms of Jesus
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Sunday’s Obituary: My Father, Maurice Belair
Tomorrow, May 6th, marks the 17th anniversary of my father’s passing.
My Dad had been unwell with chest pains when he was admitted to our local hospital the previous week. (Dad had a history of coronary artery disease since 1985.) Five days later, he suffered a heart attack1 and died that Monday morning; he was 68 years old. His doctor was with him, but none of us (my mother, my brother or I) were there because of the early hour and the suddenness of the attack.
I asked Mom if she’d let me compose the obituary; she agreed. I prepared one for our town’s weekly newspaper (seen here)2 and one for The Daily Press of Timmins, Ontario, where our family lived from 1958 to 1979.
Sources:
1. Maurice Belair, Medical Certification of Death, 1996; Fraser Canyon Hospital, Hope, British Columbia; photocopy supplied May 1996 to Yvonne Demoskoff, Hope, British Columbia. Dr. D. Duke, Maurice’s physician, completed and signed the medical certificate, and allowed a photocopy of the document to be made for Maurice’s daughter Yvonne.
2. “Maurice Belair”, obituary, The Standard (Hope, British Columbia), Thursday, May 9, 1996, p. 16.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
My Dad had been unwell with chest pains when he was admitted to our local hospital the previous week. (Dad had a history of coronary artery disease since 1985.) Five days later, he suffered a heart attack1 and died that Monday morning; he was 68 years old. His doctor was with him, but none of us (my mother, my brother or I) were there because of the early hour and the suddenness of the attack.
I asked Mom if she’d let me compose the obituary; she agreed. I prepared one for our town’s weekly newspaper (seen here)2 and one for The Daily Press of Timmins, Ontario, where our family lived from 1958 to 1979.
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| Maurice Belair obituary, 1996. |
Sources:
1. Maurice Belair, Medical Certification of Death, 1996; Fraser Canyon Hospital, Hope, British Columbia; photocopy supplied May 1996 to Yvonne Demoskoff, Hope, British Columbia. Dr. D. Duke, Maurice’s physician, completed and signed the medical certificate, and allowed a photocopy of the document to be made for Maurice’s daughter Yvonne.
2. “Maurice Belair”, obituary, The Standard (Hope, British Columbia), Thursday, May 9, 1996, p. 16.
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.
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