Can't wait for Spring!

On Saturday January 30th, 2010. P. A. and I, headed out on a journey a road trip. We were heading to Lucan Ontario. We had traced my G.G.'s burial to St. Peter's Cemetery and this is where it was located. We didn't have an address for the cemetery. Just a lot and concession number. P. being who he is, and doing what he does, was able to find an old map from 1878 of Biddulph/Lucan township. He was able to use the old map as a guide to get us there. When we arrived in Lucan, we found that it was a small very Irish town, the picture below and to the left is the Lucan Canadian flag. It is also where the Black Donnelly's lived and died. This has nothing to do with my own quest, but it is interesting.

We found the cemetery St. Peter's. It is definately a nice spot next to a creek. Of course the church is gone now. The ground was covered with snow. Paul got out of the car and walked all through the cemetery, but G.G. has a plaque and not a headstone, so there was no way to find it. We will have to return in the spring. In the picture below to the right you can see P.'s tracks in the snow.

 I found that while I was sitting in the car watching P. walk around searching, I got quite emotional. I began thinking about my Grandmother. I have never been very close to her, and my children do not know her well. She is alive and well, she is their Great Grandmother and I feel like I am doing them (my children and my grandmother) a great disservice by not encouraging a healthier  relationship. I sat in front of the cemetery thinking to myself. This is where a woman rests, after having left behind 3 children a husband, a sister in law at the very least. Yet I don't think anyone has ever come to pay homage to her. I and a whole family of people are here because of decisions she made. Yet she slipped away without any notice.
I was stunned and shocked and it brought to light a lot of decisions I had made in my own life lately that I am not to proud of anymore. One of my biggest worries is slipping away. Having my life mean nothing, not having done anything of notice to change the world. Being at the cemetery, and realizing that my Great Grandmother was buried under the snow and soil, Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust. I realized that she did not, exist for nothing, her life has been noted three generations after her. Someone wants to know what she did, who she was, and what her life was like. I may not be able to get any of the answers I want, but because of her, I am looking and on a quest to find out.
As for her not contributing to this world, and I don't know of an exact count, but I believe she has 3 children, and 10 grandchildren, and approximately 20 great grand children, and approximately (could be off by as many as 10) 9 great great grand children, and 1 great great great grand child. Wow!

She obviously made her mark on the world, now she just needs some people to recognize that. Which is what I am trying to do. I have gone back and been able to find some evidence although there is not a lot. I have found records going back as far as my Great Grandmothers Great Grandmother and on the paternal side of my Grandmother I have found my Great Great Grandparents but that is as far as I have been able to go. So the journey continues. I have a few hours tucked away for tomorrow to research and if all goes well by the end of the week I hope to be able to go back to the early 1800's right now I am about in the middle of the 1800's. This picture to the left is how St. Peter's looked, this is a page from "Sure An' This is Biddulph" Lewis, Jennie Raycraft-Biddulph Township Council 1964.