Henry Sylvestre brief history Part 1

My Granddad, Henry Sylvestre

 was born in 1905 in the Copper County of Michigan. 

Which is in the Keenewa Pennisula.  With Lake Superior all around it.  I am cold just thinking about that landscape in winter.

  The Place of birth is given as Atlantic Mines.

 It is in Adams Township.  Calumet, MI is about 16 miles to the north. I just found out a book discussing the Copper mining in Michigan and how so many were drawn to the region for employment. 
 "Copper Range Chronicle: A Family and an Era" its by Anita Andreini Ahearn - 2003 

I see it can be purchased through Barnes & Nobles.

Now back to Henry, he was of French Canadien decent. 

 Both his mom and dad were born in Quebec. 

 Both great Grandparents moved on over to Copper Country for their chance at a different life. 

As always these emigrating families are on the move after a generation or 2. 

 Then for what ever reason possible higher wages my granddad moved down to the Lower Peninsula to work for GM.   

LAKE ERIE SHIP WRECKS

http://www.ohioshipwrecks.org/ShipwreckMap.pdf


By going to this web site you will see the many downed vessels in Lake Erie

Castles: Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire.

Places My Ancestors are From:

Hillmorton, Warwickshire England

Henry & Elizabeth Perkins were born & this is where their descendants hail from. 

John Perkins was the first of the Perkins to come to the New World.

Castles Arundle Castle in Sussex England

NAME ORIGINS: Brynhildr

Brynhildr

According to Wikipedia: 

Brynhildr (sometimes spelled Brunhild, Brünnhilde, Brynhild) is a shieldmaiden and a valkyrie in Norse mythology, where she appears as a main character in the Völsunga saga and some Eddic poems treating the same events. Under the name Brünnhilde she appears in the Nibelungenlied and therefore also in Richard Wagner's opera cycleDer Ring des Nibelungen. She may be inspired by the Visigothic princess Brunhilda of Austrasia. The history of Brynhildr includes fratricide, a long battle between brothers, and dealings with the Huns.

Autosonomol DNA on Ancestry.com

Now with DNA testing price dropping you to might break down some brick walls

Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan

Did any of your French ancestors come from Belle Isle?

Where is Belle Isle?  

Is it an Island?

It lies nestled between Detroit & Windsor.  It is in the USA boarders.

This island was a farming community for many of my ancestors. 

Not sure if the island like the coast of Detroit had “Ribbon Farms” or not. 

“Ribbon Farm” name comes from the way each Farm was/had very narrow land boundaries so every one could get to the water from their own land.  Long narrow farms.  It worked well no water disputes.

During the early to mid 1700’s Detroit was quite exclusive French.  

French Ancestors of Detroit

I have many French Ancestors on my moms side that  are from the Detroit River Region.

Some of them were farmers on Belle Isle.

Family names of DuCharme Charron, Rivard, & Reaume are some of my french farming families.

 

Islands of Detroit #1 Belle Isle

Belle Isle Michigan late 1800's

photos from:http://www.photographium.com/belle-isle-park

1st Cousin from DNA results

Ok  You have your DNA results back from Ancestry.com

You have looked through those who have potential connects to you.  No names are familiar to you.  A few weeks or maybe a few months when all of a sudden Viola you have a closer connections to you.  That unknown 1^st or 2nd second cousin.

Is that a 1^st – 2^nd cousin there?  Oh boy what does this really mean for me and them?

An unknown 1^st cousin, totally unknown.  So if they are unknown to each other then are their parents are most likely unknown to each other too?

Wow what does this really mean? 

In discovering facts about my own family it comes down to a child born into a family that was not 100% their family.  When in the DNA results you see that there was a different father then the other children in the family have.  ( This is in my families case).

To me this complicates everything.  Since I tend to see the big picture and not the micro side.   My thoughts go way deep as to what problems in genealogy this creates.  I do not have the answer as to what it can or what does it mean for each person affected by this kind of “Blast from the Past” knowledge.

I can however tell you that if you ever do find out this kind of DNA proof  step lightly there is the potential for a lot of family stress to come with it.

Finding an old letter amongst a deceased relative old paper is pure eureka.  You just never know where you will find that shred of evidence you have suspected all along.  There it is in pen and paper.  Sorry to say this will not happen as often in the near distant future, since e-mail & texting is the common mode of non-verbal communication these days.  So those what were consider golden places for information will soon disappear.

 

This week though a letter was discovered which with further communication led to new family information being added.

What letters have you found that has helped you to discover more about your family?

DNA Feedback

The more I come to know about autosonomal DNA the more I realize that there are many challenges to knowing who we are.  
That there can be a difference between the paper Ancestors & the DNA ancestors.

How confusing is that ?  Papers versus the chemical make-up. Is there a difference?

 Yes in my mind there is. The Paper trail shows us who is in the family line.  While the chemical/DNA proves the paper trail.  The DNA can be full of so many surprises though.

So when you do do your DNA you may have many surprises as to who you thought you were.

Like finding out you do not get a complete set of DNA from both of your parents. 
 What you get is 50% from both. That 50% is different for each child from that union. For me I have 8 living siblings.  It could take 6 of us to be tested to find out the complete DNA we could of been born with.
 What 50% its all in the mix of egg & sperm.

Good Luck in finding out yours!!!  Oh what fun.

Barefoot Genealogist

Find out if your Family Lore is true regarding your family Native American/First Nation Anestors.

Check out the video with the Barefoot Genealogist Gal 



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIu-WF1LZY4&list=PL2F65E97B57EF8279&index=9

United States Bureau Of Indian Affairs

http://bia.gov    and  http://www.bia.gov/WhatWeDo/index.htm