Happy "Middle Child Day"

Today is Middle Child Day - Aug 13
A day to salute the middle-born children whose youthful activities were limited due to their always being too young or too old. Today, they are just right! Created in 1986 by Elizabeth Walker. Annually, the second Saturday in August.

We all have them in our family tree somewhere, and we all know the "Middle Child Syndrome" that is talked about. How about YOU? Are you one or do you have one of your own or one in the family that pops to mind. I can tell you in my family say "Middle Child" and my daughter Miranda jumps to mind immediately. A strong willed child from before birth (that's a story in itself...LOL) and yet a loving caring young woman; who, if she is your friend you will be so happy to have.

Banff, Alberta - June 28/2019 - Father (John Goodwin) & Daughter (Miranda Goodwin)

Markstay/Warren, Ontario - Aug. 21/2005 -
Back L- William Goodwin (Father), Back R - John Goodwin (Son),
Front L-R - Victoria, Miranda & Liam (Grand-children)

Miranda was due on July 4th (my birthday) and started to show her uniqueness from with-in the womb. The 4th came and went with no appearance. The 5th came and went, also. The 6th came and her mother picked me up from work and said she was having contractions. We headed home where her mother was to meet us to watch our oldest child (Victoria). We could then head to the hospital. So We get home and the wife says she wants to take a shower before going; as she remembers how long she had to wait for one when Victoria was born. I told her we should leave now though as her contractions were about 5-6 minutes apart and the Dr. had said to head to the hospital at 10 minutes apart as the second child would come sooner then the first, usually. She said shower first and proceeded up the 5 stairs to the bathroom when half way up; her water broke. She turned around and said "Or we can leave now". We went to the hospital and around 10 pm we thought, 'she's not here yet; maybe she is going to wait to share her birthday with Grand-pa Bill (my father) on the 7th of July. One half hour later and Miranda was here. We said that she was stubborn and was determined to have her own birthday; no matter what we thought and or wanted. This nature showed itself from an early age. At around 4 yrs old, learning to tie her shoes and refusing help telling us "I do it my own self'; in that young slurred learning to speak for herself way.
As I said though she grew into a young woman who formed strong friendships. She proves to her friends continually her devotion to them and her support for them in many big and small ways. She is still stubborn and strong willed. You won't push her around in life; but you will be thankful she's in your corner.

So let's 'Remember When' the Middle Child (fill in the Blank) today and laugh out loud.

100 Years Old Today - Happy Birthday Grandpa!

     The date was April 28th, 1919 when Joseph Wilfrid Lafleur came into the world. Born to Eugene Wilfrid Lafleur and his wife Marie Louise (nee Trudel) in Caldwell, Nipissing County, Ontario, Canada. One of 12 children he would grow up to marry Desneige Margerite Ouellette on August 16th, 1943 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Warren, Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. They in turn would go on to have 7 children and settle in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. My Mother was one of those children and so I the grandson of Wilfrid and a keeper of the family genealogy want to 'Remember When' on this the occasion of his 100th Birthday. I also happen to have been named in part after him. My full name is John Francis Wilfrid Goodwin. Named after both my grandfathers, I get my second middle name from Grandpa Lafleur.
      My grandfather was a great man. He took care of his family to the best of his ability and always loved them. He especially loved his grand kids and always had time for them. When my parents first married, they lived with my grand parents until they could get a place of their own. My dad told me he would come home late from work and on a number of occasions found my grandfather up in the kitchen holding and feeding me, so my mother could sleep and heal from the birth.  The family was always over at our grandparents for meals and gatherings at least once a week. The house was always full of family and friends and I know that is at least in part why my house is always open to family and friends; because of the example that my grandparents set for us. Death took my grandfather on November 1, 1977 and my grandmother a year and a half later. They had retired back up north to the Nipissing county area a few years before then and so I didn't get to see them weekly as I had before. That coupled with my age meant I never really got to ask them the questions I wish I had the chance to ask now.  But I always 'Remember When' with fondness as I think of them and I am glad I have personal memories at all. My younger brother has none. So again I say "Happy Birthday grandpa, I wish you were here. Love ya."

Joseph Wilfrid Lafleur - 1943

August 16, 1943 - J. Wilfrid Lafleur marries Desneige Ouellette.

Summer 1949 - J. Wilfrid Lafleur & Daughter Noella (home in Windsor).

Summer 1948 - J. Wilfrid Lafleur holding daughter Noella (home in Windsor).

Summer 1964 J. Wilfrid Lafleur standing with brother Fernand behind their parents (seated) Eugene W. Lafleur & Marie Louise (nee Trudel). 

Christmas day 1968 - J. Wilfrid Lafleur with his wife Desneige and their 7 children at their home (818 Bruce Ave., Windsor).

Christmas Day 1972 - J. Wilfrid Lafleur with some of his children & grand Children (me John in his arm) at his home (818 Bruce Ave., Windsor).

July 10, 1976 - J. Wilfrid Lafleur with grandchildren (left to right) John F.W. Goodwin, Branden R Goodwin & Sheri L. Lafleur. 

Ancestry DNA helping fill in the missing pieces (Part 9)

   This is the last of this series (as far as I know, right now).  The trip up North was a great one. We had a good time and my brother and his family got to meet a group of other's from our family. Seeing and being on the property that was the land of our great grand parents was something else. He fell in love with it as much as I.  We went out in the bush and enjoyed seeing the old homestead of our great grand parents.  Later we spent the night out in the bush; my brother Branden, cousin in law Gabe and I. We talked about the visit Branden was to have with our father. He wasn't interested in appologies or in hearing excuses for his belief's. He mentioned that he was having the meeting in part because he thought I wanted it. That he was doing for me.  I tried to tell him, he didn't need to. I wanted this for the two of them. I knew that any possibility of a future relationship for them was up to them. I just wanted them to take the chance at it. I really don't get anything from it per say. I just didn't want them to miss the chance. A few days later we went to our father's house ahead of everyone else. We sat and talked for an hour or so and just talked casually. There was no mention of the past and what had happened back then, no excuses.  A week or so after I talked with my brother and he said the meeting really didn't do anything and it was all just as it was. I told him I didn't fully understand, as it seemed to go exactly as he had said he wanted it to. I have since been back up north to see my dad and check on him. He made no mention of the meeting and given his memory problems recently and how much he seems to feel things when he tries to remember. So I believe it will not go anywhere further.  As I said, this was their story, the outcome is thier's. I can't live their life's. They took the opportunity to speak and if it has not lead them to any kind of reconcilation then they have to live with this.
    I am also happy to report that my cousin in law has found the old well at the old homestead and is going to try to reopen it as a source of water in the bush. It was really good to be back out there and see the property.  I hope you have all been having a good time researching your own family history/stories. I continue to work on our's. No matter where the research takes you it is still your story. Don't be afraid of it. You are still who you are, no matter the new info we find. So always Remember When....
    Lastly I have been considering making this a video blog and put it on 'You Tube'. I will be looking at how to go about this, and ask my son to help me. No promises. If I do then I may redo these blog's as video blog's. If not and or until then I will continue to these blog's, when I can.

Ancestry DNA helping fill in the missing pieces (Part 8)

    Well this adventure in DNA testing keep's moving along.  First of all my mother's brother Wilfrid (who died just a little time back) had children from a few different woman in his life. One I have gotten to know (Robbie H.), and another (Christine) who I only really know over Facebook. She is the spitting image of our grandmother (WIlfird & my mother Noella's mother).  Well I noticed that she had done the Ancestry DNA test and showed up on my matches. So I contacted her on the Ancestry site and let her know that I had ben doing the family history and would be willing to share anything she would like to know about. I left it at that and she responded a few months later that she was interested. I have let her know through Facebook that I intend to respond soon. I will probably do that this week.
    The other news is that my mother, my brother and I are going up north (Verner, Warren, Sturgeon Falls, North Bay area of Northern, Ontario) to visit with family up there. My brother doesn't really know the family up there well and has wanted to go up and meet and get to know some of them better. His children and and possibly his wife may be coming along too.  So while we are looking forward to this, I get a call from my father and he wants to know if I can ask my brother if it's alright to give our dad his number. Dad wants to call and talk to him, trying to reach out after all these years. Now that we have the hard evidence that he is my brother's father. So I talked to my brother and he said he was fine with this. He holds no ill feeling and is fine with talking to him. He has no expectation for the conversation and isn't looking for anything (even an appology of any kind). So I was over his place having this conversation and hung around for a while talking and visiting when my brother tells me he has changed his mind. He thinks this is a conversation that would be better/should be done, face to face. So I said we are going up north soon and dad is in the area. We can take a day trip over and see him. My brother agreed and so we will be going to visit him while up north. My brother has said he will bring the kids with him too, so they can meet our dad and his wife Ivy (their other grand parents).  I am somewhat floored at how this has come together. I am very pleased by it, and pray for the best to come of it. I know even if they start talking it will never be the relationship it should have been. My mother and I where seperated for about 10 years when my parents divorced and there has always been something missing from our relationship. Well where ever this goes; it can't go anywhere unless people step out and make an effort.
     Lastly, on Facebook we have a family site for Lafleur cousin's where we can talk and share. Some of the family keep asking about our relation to Guy Lafleur the NHL Hockey player. I have heard over the years that he is a distant cousin and so have others. They know I do the genealogy and asked if I knew. I said I hadn't come across anything as of yet; but that I really hadn't looked very hard. One of the cousins meesaged that his birthday was such and such and his parents name. I told them give me a few minutes adn with that info I would see what I could quickly find. I did a search and found a tree of another distant cousin that had Guy on it and showed that guy's GGG Grand Parents where my GGGG Grand Parents. We are his distant cousins. I am trying to get all the info into my tree and confirm the link. Right now it appears we are all 3-4th cousins and or 2nd cousins so many times removed. Once I have it all in I will be able to confirm it.
    For now continue to look back into your own family history and always REMEBER WHEN....

Ancestry DNA helping fill in the missing pieces (Part 7)

    Well after three test (two failed and one that finally worked out), my brothers DNA results are in. My brother and I share the same parents. The site matches my brother & father.  I attach a look at the 3 of us. You will notice that my brother actually has more of a match to our father then I do. The Irish is stronger in them than in I. My brother is interested in the facts and genetic history. He isn't interested in a relationship after all these years.   I called my father and gave him the news. I could tell it hit him hard. He realized all that he has lost, all the years, the son and the grand children he's missing. Will anything come of their mutual knowledge. Will they talk? Will they get together at all? That will be up to them. Only time will tell. Now we just wait for our mother to get her sample together and sent in.

 
   On another note. The last blog I talked about a visit to my mother's cousin in Warren, Ontario. She lives on the same property my Great Grand parents owned and lived on.  She sent me some pics and I did some repair work to a few of them.  I attach the one that means the most to me. It is of those Great Grand Parents with my mother and some of her siblings at that home in Warren.

Left - Israel Noel Ouellette, Center Rear - Israel's wife Aldea Gervais holding Wilfrid Lafleur, Center Left (tallest girl) - Fernande Lafleur, Right side middle - Noella Aldea Lafleur,  Front right - Florence Lafleur. Siblings with their grand parents. My mother Noella named for these grand parents. 

     As always look to the memories of old and always Remember When......

Ancestry DNA helping fill in the missing pieces (Part 6)

   Well the continueing saga of DNA testing. My brother's third test is being processed. His wife sent hers in with his second test and it is processed and results are in. Next day I recieve word that his failed again; and the third test was on it's way. I also got our mother a test and activated it about the same time as my brothers third test. She has as of yet not done her part. Waiting on her to spit (maybe she hasn't because it's not lady like...LOL). I also found out that my cousin (my mother's brother's daughter) has done the test and it will be interesting to have that extra data to compare.
    So we wait some more to get the other mysteries solved about my father, brother and I. We will have the info for my brother's children since both he and his wife have been tested.
     On a further note, I went up north this summer to visit my father and a cousin of my mother's.  This cousin (Gisele) lives on the property that my great grand parents owned. I remember visiting it a number of times when I was a child. Her husband took me out 4 wheeling to view the property and see the evidence of an old homestead. It was amazing and I had never gotten to go back there when I was younger. I also grabbed a piece of bedrock to take home with me.  They told me how my great grand father first started dating great grand ma. It was the classic tale of church picnic. The girls would bring a picnic lunch and the boys would bid to buy the lunch as a fund raiser. The winning bid would get to eat the lunch with the girl who's lunch they bought. Great grand pa Noel told his best friend that he was going to buy great grand ma Aldea's picnic and marry her. His freind said that that wasn't going to happen, as he was going to buy it. As you can guess that didn't work out for him. Great grand pa won the bid and they did go on to marry and have a large family and many more decendents.  I can't wait to visit them again and 'Remember When...' together.

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 As always Remember When ....