It’s getting easier to figure out where a relative who died in the last 150 years is buried. The larger cemeteries often publish Internet lists of who was interred there, and they may even post a map to help you find a grave when you visit. But sometimes, if you are fortunate, a volunteer has […]
Discovered: The Gingras Ancestral Lands
Luck was on my side when I embarked on an epic search for the mercurial Gingras ancestral lands. After driving in circles around riverside farmland, I had all but given up the quest — when a glimmer caught my eye. Could the marker by the side of the road (the one on the left) possibly […]
Hugh Simmers: Walking in his Cinematic Footsteps
In the summer of 2017, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland, where my grandfather Hugh Simmers worked as a projectionist from 1916 to 1917. Originally called the King Cinema, it’s the oldest continuously operated movie theater in Scotland, dating back to 1914. It specializes in art films. Hugh […]
Discovered: Gingras Home in St. Johnsbury
It was no easy find. First, there was the hassle of getting there — to St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in the northern part of the state, a mere 49 miles from Canada. Then there was the matter of finding the home where the family had lived in 1880. The Census provided an address, the wrong address, […]
J.E. Thompson Jr. Tells a Few Tales About His Storied Life in His Own Words
It’s good to catch up with a relative, even if they are long gone. I never met my great uncle J.E. (Joe) Thompson, Jr., but thankfully, he left behind hand-written notes that chronicled some important, and some not so important, events in his life, including a few details about his legendary trip around the world. […]
Anyone for Polo? J.E. Thompson Wanted Phoenicians To Have a Place to Play
Who builds a polo field in Phoenix? It’s so hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk and bake cookies on a car dashboard. Sometimes airplanes can’t fly. Answer: My great grandfather J.E. Thompson. Though J.E.’s gesture seems foolhardy, it may may have actually paid financial dividends. That sly fox! Joseph Edward, who belonged […]