Family Mysteries

My searches for information about family history has led to many unanswered questions. I'm sure this is true for anyone who undertakes this hobby. My desire with family history is the personal history. The genealogical aspect of going back 22 generations is not as important to me as making some connection or finding some bit of information that makes these antecedants real to me, and not just a glob of names and dates. It has been exciting, though, to find information going back 5 or 6 generations. It makes me feel more connected to the world and to people. I can see the infinity of history.

Of all the family mysteries I'd like to solve, my top three (this week, anyway) are:

-Alexander Cameron Edmondson - brother of my grandfather, Walt. He is counted in the 1880 US census, and there is a marriage record for him on-line. And then nothing. A second marriage record exists for his wife. Where did he go? How and when did he die? In the AB homestead record my great-grandfather submitted to the government, he lists two sons and one daughter living with him. Did Alexander really come to Alberta for a time? Did his sister, Alice? Or did Joe just add that information to the forms thinking it would increase his chance of a homestead? What happened to Alexander?

-Anna-Maria (Scholzen) Hockertz - my maternal grandmother's mother. She was German, but for awhile we weren't even sure if she came to North America. There is a letter from Grandma to her Mom dated 1922, that shows Anna-Maria did come here. Where and when and how did she die? Her husband's gravesite is in Chipman, but no Anna-Marie there. Nothing that we could find in the provincial archives and, so far, nothing on-line. Where are you, Anna-Maria?

-Did my great-grandfather, Joe Edmondson really have anything to do with Jesse James? There is a convoluted family story about 'someone' sleeping in the same room as Jesse James. Some have heard this story as it being my Dad, which doesn't fit with the dates. It could, however have been his Dad, Walt. And now, no one of this generation even remembers who told the story. I don't know if anyone of this generation even remembers hearing it. There is a reference in a book, whose title escapes me right now, to a J. Edmondson riding with Jesse James. It is only a brief reference, and so far no one seems to know who the J. Edmondson was. And no other reference to an Edmondson in any Jesse James research I've done, to date. It's possible though - Nebraska is not far from Jesse James' territory and the dates fit for when Joe had his family in Nebraska. There are questions about how Joe made his money to have a full train car of stock to move to Canada. So could be...it would be an interesting black sheep to have.

There are many other mysteries in my family's past. I keep searching for these two people and others. It is a compelling mystery, this family history stuff. I want to know the whys of their lives and know them better. The searches continue, because their lives continue to shape mine. A long line of connections and habits and personalities and DNA that make me who I am. I love it.

The Alternate Route

Three reasons why I like to drive on Highway 2A, rather than Highway 2 (besides my dread of 'the four-lane', which has become a full-blown phobia. I'm okay as a passenger on #2 - well, mostly). Highway 2 is now named Queen Elizabeth Highway or The QE2. I call 2A The queen Mom; after all, it was there first.

- Seeing the natural world: up-close cows and horse, which includes calves and colts this time of year; a sheep farm; a goat farm; wildflowers growing in the ditches; many species of birds; brush and trees; natural coulees; gophers playing chicken; water fowl on the sloughs; a single llama in a field just north of Olds; farmers' fields.

-A slower pace, which means 100% less stress, so I can actually see the above. And better gas mileage. The slower pace calms me down and gets rid of the hurry-up-I-gotta-get-there attitude. I can get lost in the moment (not so lost in the moment that I'm inattentive, though). I actually enjoy the drive. Sometimes I get stuck behind a tractor or other farm machinery. I like that because I can go even slower, and they turn off after ten or fifteen miles, anyway

-Small towns right on the highway, for frequent bathroom breaks or coffee breaks or snack breaks. I don't have to plan where I should next pull off - I can just stop. It's a mini-vacation Sunday drive feeling.

Tai Chi in the Park

Although it was freezing cold, there were three things that fed my soul doing Tai Chi in the park tonight:

-on the way in, I counted seven clutches of goslings huddled on the shore. When leaving, the adults got into the water, followed by all the babies. Too many babies to count; it was incredible. I'm surprised at how big they are already, and hardly any yellow down left; the feathers are visible.

-a weasel swam so close to us that not only could we see his little head, we could see his little tiny eyes, and he was paddling so fast.

-a red-winged blackbird was perched near us on a branch, singing his song, and preening. It was like a personal show for us.

Playing around

Three childhood games I loved:

-Auntie - I - Over
-Seven Up
-Chinese skipping

I don't remember how good I was at these, but sure loved to play them.

Inventions

Three things I'm glad were invented:

-the dishwasher. Stick 'em in and turn it on. Not much work to that.
-the vacuum cleaner. I do hate the chore of vacuuming, so I'm not quite as glad carpets/rugs were invented, but the vacuum is one up on beating the dirt out of a rug with a stick. And you gotta find something to hang the rug over; not too many clotheslines around anymore. (Oh no, I used the word hate on my so far mostly postive blog)
-the nutcracker; using a hammer is too messy and less effective. Little nut peices all mixed in with little shell pieces.