August 10, 2016

The Douglas Family Comes to Town




Mid July, our North Dakota/Iowa cousins came to see us on their way through to New Brunswick. It coincided with the last meeting at our old house. 

We had ice cream after meeting as a goodbye to our house and hello to the Douglas's. 

These first few pictures are from my phone, so the quality is lacking.


The Douglas-Vaughan clan that was present. We were missing thirteen, but I think that is the closest we have come to being all together in a long time. 


Gilbert and his friend Amy were matching.


The next morning Scott, Connie, JoAnna, Clover, and I piled into Connie's Escalade and headed up to Quebec for a little cemetery hopping and to see the old farm. 

Scott was named Scott after Scott Simpson. 


Ed and Lil were very close to my grandparents and had the meeting.


Some more relations.


JoAnna and her worker ancestor


Connie and Scott


Pretty flower by the cemetery


The church at the next cemetery


Cousins 


Great-great grandparents


Our great-great grandparents and great-grandparents


Our great-great-great grandfather was buried somewhere near this tree, but he doesn't have a headstone.

Growing up, we didn't feel like we had a lot of family. It was just us and the Douglas's within hours and hours of driving. But only an hour away, are the graves of countless relatives. Mom and Scott lost touch with their surviving relations during the upheaval of their teen years. 

It was a bit surreal for us all to realize how connected the Douglas family was just one generation ago. Cousins and relatives everywhere you looked in St. Chrysostome. 


I love maple trees in cemeteries. 


Looking at the old headstones


Some old ones leaning against the tree.


Dazy Matilda

My lovely little Dazy

Only a year and a half old. No relation to us, but it made my throat swell up, thinking of the parents deciding on that inscription for their baby.


The sky was rather threatening as we were leaving.


Aunt and Uncles

At this time, we went to the Douglas farm, but there are so many pictures of that, I am putting it in a different post. 


These guys were neighbor boys together back in the day.


Great Grandma Baskin's house.


Scott and Barry Campbell, his third cousin


A cool old building made by stacking firewood and treating the ends. 


Relatives with impressive names.

(I should have done this sooner. I may have remembered all the connections if I did it immediately.) 


Mom and Scott's parent's grave



And one with J-Rita


Barry Campbell's grandparents.


A cool tree.


After a stop at Bokie's for poutine, we got home to Owen working on the shop light.


Lots of cousins splashing around.



JoAnna putting in an order for something or other. 


Scott and Mom discussing


Making music


Tucker-tuck


Lil-billy


My Gilbert boy


Not sure why Lincoln is holding his book upside down. He is quite an accomplished reader, actually.


Ryker and Elliott were Lego buddies.


Hoyt decided to get in on the music making.


He was so ridiculously cute. He stood there for ages, while they played, doing his part in playing an instrument. 

The next morning, we were off for Almonte convention at the crack of dawn and the Douglas's continued on their way to New Brunswick. 

It was so awesome to see them!!

2 comments:

Geri Douglas said...

that was a pretty special time we had with you!!

Virginia said...

Very cool to see everyone and very cool that you got to see your relations! It's lovely to know there's a place where you have some deep roots.