Huron-Perth Boomers

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FAMILY by Alison Lobb Laidlaw, Died Oct. 10 1868, aged 68 years. Relict of Wm. Laidlaw, Who died in Illinois, US, Jan, 5 1839, aged 41 years. Natives of the Parish of Ettrick, Selkerkshire, Scotland.” Indexed summaries of all these cemeteries are available through the <strong>Huron</strong> County Branch, and also through the <strong>Huron</strong> County Library. The tracing of global roots has become much easier in this computerized world, with the emphasis on digitization of records. Do please remember that much of this work is done by volunteers, so rather than be frustrated if you cannot find needed records, consider being thankful for what you are able to find. Perhaps you could volunteer to assist with an indexing project in your area? My area of interest was the Lobb family is Cornwall, England. In the 1970s (prior to the Internet, remember!), the primary source of genealogical information was through the Mormon’s International Genealogical Index, which I accessed at their London, Ont., Church Resource Centre. Trying to locate all possible relatives, I also collected pages from area phone books on my travels and made cold calls. Of course, all vacation travels headed to where I knew there were Lobbs. The generosity of total strangers with their personal information was incredible. I met amazing people and that was the most rewarding part of my hobby/obsession. Renewing my research much later, I found the newer Internet resources invaluable. Ancestry and other similar programs (Family Search, FindMyPast) uncovered valuable information. I started with Ancestry.ca and signed up for a year. That allowed me access to the indexed records of births, marriages and deaths; early census records and voters lists; and available immigration and military records. The possibilities were amazing. And the various genealogical software programs make documentation easier. It amazed me how much I uncovered about an individual by simply Googling their name. Quite often, detailed obituaries were available. I did sign up for Ancestry DNA and received a few contacts, but did not find that of primary interest. I was hoping to identify the ancestors of our first known Canadian Lobb, George. I started with what we could document (George’s date of death according to his Bible), which provided a date of birth in 1813. Then I looked for baptisms of other children with similar parents in that time period, in the Cornish parish known. With indexed baptisms available, a list was created. Then I went to the marriages file looking for a marriage for parents of those names just prior to the date of the first child. Then, assuming the father was at least 20 when he was married, I worked backwards looking for a baptism for a child of that name in the area… and hopefully located his parents. Then I started all over. It’s not absolute, but I was able to create two generations in a relatively short time. Thank you, volunteer transcribers! Although it is rewarding to develop a tree quickly using computer records, you need to keep in mind that until you have obtained actual documentation (such as the birth certificate itself), you are simply assuming your conclusions. Yes, I have put together three generations that may be accurate. However, there are reasons why my assumptions could be flawed. There was no legal requirement to keep records in the 1700s and early-1800s, so the event may not have been documented. Documents may not have been saved or allowed to be transcribed, or perhaps the records were simply lost through time. I also could have made a mistake with my assumption! Remember too, to account for spelling variations in surnames. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, literacy was not the norm, so persons recording names made their own interpretation. I found one Lobb branch on the border between Ontario and Quebec where three brothers raised their families as Lobbs, while across the river three raised generations known as Labre. One recorder was English speaking, the other was French. Also, immigrants may have anglicized their names to simpler forms. If you are planning to publish your results, pay careful attention to privacy concerns. Ancestry does not print the names and dates of anyone who is still alive. They simply input “private individual.” If you are not sure about someone’s date of death, a rule of thumb is 100 years. I guess the theory is that if they are still around after 100 years, they probably wouldn’t object to their birth date being known. What will you do? Can you ensure relatives will honour a request to maintain confidentiality 24 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Alison Lobb FAMILY of current data? With the Internet so accessible, that is definitely an issue. Perhaps the easiest way to start, and to generate interest (and assistance) among relatives, is to produce a Grandma or Grandpa booklet. For my mother’s 80th birthday, I called each of the siblings, children and grandchildren and asked them, right then and there, to give me one word they would use to describe her, and a memory they had involving her. The results were fascinating, and even surprising. Who would have expected a teenage grandson to comment, “She has good legs”? I put their anecdotes together in a booklet, complete with photos through the years, and it was the hit of her birthday party. As an added bonus, I had not identified who said what, and she and Grandpa spent many hours trying to puzzle that out. Family memory books are the most personal, perfect gift you can give on any occasion. They generate discussion, and we were all surprised when my mother added her own anecdote. “There is an inscription on my wedding ring, because I insisted it was important that there be one,” Mom said. “Dad took care of it, but since he put the ring on my finger in 1933, I have never once had it off... so, I still have no idea what the inscription is!” hard cover book). I found, however, if I want 25 copies to share with relatives, it’s cheaper to have them printed locally at our excellent print shops — simply by creating a pdf document with a spiral binding. Memories are a wonderful thing. They’re what transforms a genealogy into a family history. Don’t assume the memories and anecdotes will remain intact! They don’t. When I first worked on our family history, I collected many old photos, which were family treasures. Then our house burned to the ground with everything in it, and I lost them all. As a result of that experience, my passion is to collect family memorabilia and anecdotes, and then to share the info. Gather the names and dates, by all means. The computer resources available today certainly help. However, it’s also important to document your own family memories, and those of your parents, and your children. It’s equally important to share them, so they are preserved in many places. Make sure the stories and treasures endure. Document the memories, then share, share, share. Alison Lobb is a mother, cash-crop farmer, municipal politician, and writer. Her commitment to community development has her actively involved in several local organizations. I have created over 25 family booklets, typing into either Microsoft Word or other readily available software programs. For smaller booklets, my personal preference is a free program called PhotoInPress.ca (cost about $50 per Lasting Legacy the Promise of Tomorrow Ordinary people show Extraordinary generosity by leaving legacy gifts to our hospital in their wills ‘Ask about our 10 Year Impact Funds’ SGHFOUNDATION.ORG 519.272.8210 EXT. 2626 WINTER 2020/21 • 25
Page 1 and 2: A FREE magazine for adults 50+ Wint
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Page 6 and 7: TRAVEL Mardi Gras frame of mind PLA
Page 8 and 9: TRAVEL by Jill Ellis-Worthington Fo
Page 10 and 11: HISTORY Remembering the legendary a
Page 12 and 13: HISTORY by Shawn Henshall McLaren w
Page 14 and 15: HISTORY by Shawn Henshall McLaren l
Page 16 and 17: HEALTH & WELLNESS Fear of FALLING P
Page 18 and 19: HEALTH & WELLNESS 18 • HURONPERTH
Page 20 and 21: DOCUMENTING YOUR family history AN
Page 22 and 23: FAMILY by Alison Lobb and profanity
Page 26 and 27: OPINION Preparing for RETIREMENT HO
Page 28 and 29: OPINION by April Taylor to sing in
Page 30 and 31: FOOD & DRINK Mexican Salsa P ie Coo
Page 32: THANK YOU for reading online! Share

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