Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
March 6, 2025
“See Me Bumbling”
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”[i]
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
GRATITUDE
Thanks to Julia and Mary. Thanks for
pointing out my mistake, Julia. Her Mum and our matriarch, Janet, is only 91,
not 92. I should not have rushed her along. In the last chronicle, I posted a
photo of Mary and her daughter, Amy Holmes, with Bonnie and Roger Holmes. Mary
commented, “Interesting reading as always. The picture of Amy and me with Roger
and Bonnie Holmes was taken in November in New York City. Amy and I spent
a long week-end exploring the J. P. Morgan museum/library, seeing the Broadway
musical “Suffs” about the fight for women for the right to vote, visiting
bookstores, as well as a wonderful visit with Roger and Bonnie over lunch.
FAMILY ALBUM
Ruth Rossnagel Whitney, Elsa Ballantyne, Dan Ballantyne, and
Albert Whitney
Louisa Holmes line.
Thanks to Cynthia.
1924 to
1928
Those
are the years that our Holmes ancestors spent renewing relationships that had
somehow fallen by the wayside but with organization, letter writing, and
challenging travel – by hook or by crook – they managed to come together again.
They reacquainted and rediscovered their family ties. And then, one by one,
they died, and many of those ties died with them.
2024 to 2028
After our
presentation about our Loyalist – Acadian connection, I will post my portion of
it in a chronicle, but I think it’s time to change the subject. My/our study
will be ongoing for some time. In the evenings, I have been doing basic
genealogy of the children of Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain. By basic, I
mean finding the people and giving them a birth, marriage, and death date and
place, and bringing them to our attention: our ancestors, or our collateral
family members, to whom we owe our lives.
Sometimes I wonder
if I would take a real liking to these strangers from my past, if I met them. I
try really hard, in life, not to hate people. So, let’s just say, there are a
few people I am pleasant with but I don’t do coffee with, and a few I just try
to avoid. The man who lives behind us, for example, earns my cold shoulder.
When he sees us, he swears or growls at us, even our dog, no matter what we are
doing. He’s a hard man to like, or respect.
I discovered a lady
in our tree with whom we share DNA. Memories flooded back to my days working at
the bank. When I saw her in the line, I tried my best to avoid her. She could
be nice, and she could be unpleasant, and I never knew what mood she was in until
she reached my wicket. She had a daughter who was, probably still is, as
perpetually pleasant as ever could be. I will not identify them, just because
that wouldn’t be nice and would violate privacy rules that I swore to uphold.
So, even though I
am passionate about genealogy and family history, I do realize that every late
individual in our tree, with whom we share a wee strand of DNA, whether we know
how it connects or not, is just that, an individual. Some would be easy to love,
even though we never met them. I think of Uncle Billy and Aunt Maggie. Some,
I’d love to get to know better. Some, I think perhaps I could pass in the
street, nod and smile, and move right along. And some, I’d run and hide as soon
as I saw them coming. Rufus Fawcett comes to mind. Never mind that he was
acquitted; I think he did it. See some of the article in the history lesson.
Click on the link to read the rest of it.
https://newspapers.lib.unb.ca/serials/144/issues/24690/pages/182513?highlight=%22Rufus%20Fawcett%22
Rufus Fawcett – William Fawcett and Sarah aka Sally Holmes
(c. 1777 – 1845) – Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain.
SAVE THE DATE
Want to get to know me better? Here’s where you will find me eight days
a year: one of my happy places. And sometimes, you can actually see me bumbling
but making a presentation anyway. It’s about many times grand Uncle John and
Tante Collette, or many times Great Grandpa and Grandma. It will be in English;
Denis has a bit of an accent but will be speaking in English.
Denis Savard, Kim Campbell, and I will be doing a joint presentation
about breaking down a brick wall. You are all welcome to join us in person or
on Zoom at 2 PM, New Brunswick time, on March 15. I will give you instructions
to the zoom link. Or, you can request it yourself, about a week before, at nbgsseb@gmail.com That stands for New Brunswick Genealogical
Society, Southeastern Branch.
News From Holmes
Laura Watson’s husband, Don
Watson, passed away after a long illness, on February 20th. Our sympathy to
Laura, her son and step-son of Don, Chris Neel, and to little Squid, aka
Gracie, and other family members. Laura, Chris, and Gracie tie into the Carrie
Steeves line.
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
https://newspapers.lib.unb.ca/serials/144/issues/24690/pages/182513?highlight=%22Rufus%20Fawcett%22 to read about the Fawcett family. Sarah aka Sally was the daughter of Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain.
To
brighten your day:
Ask for an email to see these photos.
Squid aka Gracie, daughter of Chris
Neel and granddaughter of Laura Watson. Squid on squid, at the Aquarium of the
Pacific.
Carrie Steeves line.
Finnigan Isaac and his Dad, Joe
Booth, at a Bruin’s game. His birthday gift wish come true.
Charles R Holmes line.
This ends
week ten of our centennial virtual celebration of 1925 - 2025.
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