Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - My Other Interests

This week's SNGF posted by Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings is to tell about our other interests besides genealogy and family history.

First and foremost is spending time with my family! I also love to crochet but never seem to find enough time to do it. I am currently working on an afghan for my boss, which is taking a long time to do. I am also working on one for myself (although the items for myself always end up on the back burner!).

Reading is another hobby of mine. My favourite authors are Diana Gabaldon and Anne Rice. My favourite books are the Outlander Series (got the newest one for Christmas) and the Vampire Chronicles. I also enjoy reading books by Maeve Binchy. Other than books about vampires (I know, I'm strange!), I don't really have any particular genre that I favour. If it's a good book, I'll pick it up.

The 3rd activity that I am involved in is The Order of the Eastern Star. It is the largest fraternal organization in the world in which both men and women can belong, although it is run by the women. To be a member, the men must be a Master Mason and the women must have a masonic affiliation. My father, uncle and grandfather were all Masons as well as my step-grandfather. My mother, step-aunt and step-grandmother and step-grandfather were all members of the Eastern Star. One of my sisters is also a member.

I was initiated at the same time as my mother, in 1991 and have been an active member since 1994 when I finished taking night classes. I've served in many capacities in my local chapter and am currently serving my eight term as their Secretary. In 2006 I was elected Worthy Grand Matron, which is the highest office one can obtain in the Jurisdiction (quite an honour to be elected by the membership). I am also the editor of the Jurisdiction's monthly newsletter (this is my sixth year doing that). As you can see, the Eastern Star takes up a lot of my time.

Last (and at times certainly least!) is work. I work for a large valve manufacturer as an Executive Assistant and Quotations Administrator for the VP of International Marketing.

Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photos (#1)

In going through a box load of pictures that belonged to my mother, I've come across a lot of pictures of people I don't know. I believe that they might be friends and/or family of my step-father, Douglas Sinclair Kay. I'm going to start posting these on Wordless Wednesday in the hopes that someone might come across them and be able to identify them.

The man in this picture is my step-father but I have no idea who the lady and children are. He looks to be between the ages of 18 - 21 yrs old (a good 15 yrs before he married my mother), which would put the timeframe between 1945 - 1948. He lived in St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada at this time but I'm not sure if that is where this picture was taken.

Tombstone Tuesday - James Farrell (1906 - 1972)

In Loving Memory of

A Dear Husband & Father

James Farrell

Died 27th July 1972

Aged 64 Years

At Rest

James Farrell was my great uncle - my grandfather's brother. He was born on February 14, 1906 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and died on July 27, 1972 in Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. He immigrated to Australia sometime in the early 1920's.

I obtained this photo through the Australian Cemeteries Index and was given permission to post to this blog.

Tombstone Tuesday - Robert and Nellie Farrell

Farrell

Robert - Nellie

1896-1965 * 1893-1980

These are my grandparents. They are buried at Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Saskatchewan. The birth date for my grandmother is actually wrong - she was born in 1892. Nellie was the name she went by but her actual name was Helen.

Thanks to Jim Slough for doing a Random Act of Kindness and taking this photo for me.

I'm In a Quandary!

A few months back my Aunt promised to send me the address of a new cousin that I didn't even know I had. She is a daughter of one of the little girls that my grandmother left behind in Scotland when she immigrated to Canada. You can read about that here. Well, she finally did.

I'm asking for help! I've never written to a total stranger before (except for archivists, etc). How does one go about writing to someone they've never met and then ask for information: "Hi Nettie, this is not a junk letter so don't discard it. I am your cousin, Alana in Montreal and was given your address by _____!" That just does not seem like a good start!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Out There In Genea-World!

Just thought I would let my readers know (and anyone else who's interested) that I have not fallen off the face of the earth - although sometimes it does feel like it. The last few months at work have just been crazy and has not left me with much time for blogging.

However, a new year has begun and one of my resolutions is to be more faithful to this blog and my family history.

So stay tuned, folks - there is a light at the end of the tunnel!