Filling in family history gaps- searching for Toby

Filling in family history gaps- searching for Toby

*Part Two of Grandma’s legacy –You can read part One here

Life was sweet for the family.

4 beautiful children, a good job for Fred as a Chemical Engineer at the paper mill, and Toby (as she was affectionately called by Fred for her English heritage) managing the house.

Grandmother left for Heaven early

Death stole in one night,  and a cerebral hemorrhage took my Grandma’s mother. She was gone.

Her loss left a massive void in the life of this family. Her contralto voice did not fill the rooms, her flower garden had no one to tend it, and her children had no mother.

Fred was now the single parent of 4, torn from his wife when she was still a vibrant woman.

“Remember the wisdom of your ancestors in order to become wise.”

 

A Brief History of Great Grandmother

Their life in Watertown came to a close rather quickly. A move followed as Fred attempted to rebuild their lives.

I wanted so very much to visit my great-grandmother’s grave.  We looked diligently until we noticed just how far the sun was down and we still had one important stop to make…

We also hadn’t accounted for so much snow on the ground, and piles of leaves under that. It was mucky and difficult and, ultimately, unsuccessful.

We’d anticipated that knowing her burial date might help us in locating similar years. There was no such order. It was with a sad heart we loaded back into the car.

So close…

“The past remembered is a good guide for the future.”

“Old men and women in the village are books of history and wisdom.”

 

 

“Grandmothers are voices of the past and role models of the present. Grandmothers open the doors to the future.”
― Helen Ketchum

 

 

“I could do worse than become my own grandma, or anyone of the strong women who raised us. Our strength emerged from theirs; we build on their heritage and transform their resilience and competence into our own.” – Regina Barreca

 

Family history is important

Tomorrow we’ll wrap up with Part Three. My favorite of all.  Regular readers will know that I have a passion for abandoned buildings, and if you are new today? Welcome to the past…

For the first time, the buildings hold a tiny piece of my own family history.

“When you have children yourself, you begin to understand what you owe your parents.”

If you, like many, are trying to fill in the gaps in your tree and searching for family, here are a few suggestions:

• Check out shows like Long Lost Family and take notes on how they track people down using Ancestry and records. Also, a show called Who Do You Think You Are?
• Familysearch.org and Ancestry.com have wonderful records and can connect you with relatives that might help your search. A sister I didn’t know I even had found me through one of these sites!
• Search the National Archives here
• Hire a genealogist to help you. Many hobby genealogists are eager to help for a low price, or even free
• Family Tree Magazine compiles a list of the best free resources here

Family history resources:

• Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith
• An Oral History (Preserve Your Family’s Story) 
• Family Memories: A guided questionnaire journal to preserve family history
• Personalized Signature Necklace, Handwritten Memorial Keepsake – Your Actual Handwriting
• Recipe Cutting Board, Handwritten Recipe Cutting Board,Personalized Recipe Cutting Board
• Ancestry DNA kit
• 23 and Me Health and ancestry kit
• Disclosure: I only recommend products I do/would use myself. These affiliate links add NO additional cost to you, and may earn me a tiny commission to help support this blog. Read full privacy policy here.