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Page 3 spans from 21 Jan 2009 to .
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
A small update has been made to the FENNELL families within the HURDLE database.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I express my sincere appreciation to Kerry Foot for her email providing corrections and updates to the WEAVER descendants within the FRETZ database. The data has been inputted to my home computer and will be in the next website update. Speaking of which, I am giving careful consideration to creating an interim FRETZ update owing to the shear volume of new and corrected data versus what is already there. Either way it is going to be a lot of work.
Friday, January 15, 2010
An interim update has been completed and uploaded for the Hurdle database. If you find any errors or you have new material to contribute, please contact me by email or postal mail at your earliest convenience so that corrections, etc. can be included in the next update. Thank you and have a great day.
Monday, January 11, 2010
An interim update has been completed and uploaded for the Haskell database. If anyone finds any errors or has new material to contribute, please contact me by email or postal mail at your earliest convenience so that corrections, etc. can be included in the next update. Thank you.
Friday, December 18, 2009
The planned updates to the family database pages within my genealogy website have been put on indefinite hold. They will get done sometime but I do not know when. The updates to the FRETZ database in particular have taken a lot more time than what I originally anticipated, both in terms of corrections and new data.
I ended up taking time this summer and most of the fall to work on rebuilding the workshop in the basement of my home. That didn't get finished either; par for the course I guess. Most recently I am working at rekindling a friendship with someone special, a sweet young lady from many years ago. It is proving to be much harder than first thought. Its no secret that I get very moody and most especially at Christmas time, however this year it hasn't been too bad. Maybe she has something to do with that, who knows.
To those not on my normal email lists, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010. May the new year bring you happiness and a return to prosperity if you have been laid off like me. Nina, Edgar's wife is in our prayers for successful heart surgery in the new year. If your family is expecting a baby in the coming months then I hope that he or she will be healthy and bring a special twinkle to your eye.
Remember earthlings: Chocolate milk and cookies or oatmeal date turnovers for Santa when he stops by your home, and don't forget to feed the reindeer; they get hungry too! Several of Rudolph's flight crew are reported to prefer Tim Horton's extra large double double coffee, and they also enjoy warmed baked beans with blackstrap molasses but be careful if you happen to be down wind from them or they are near an open flame. Talk about your Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (aka "Turbo Jet propelled reindeer with After Burners"). Phew!
This is the link to the North American Air Defence (NORAD) website that tracks Santa on Christmas eve. Select from several languages offered and enjoy.
BTW: Santa's reindeers are "buck's" not "doe's" as some old ladies would have you believe. Guys can find their way around the globe without a female reading the roadmap, blonde or otherwise. Take Rudolph for example. He has an ECO friendly ultra long range infra-red radar like device in his radome (big red nose) as well as modern military GPS equipment expropriated from 4 WING Cold Lake AB, so Santa and his merry crew won't get lost. Rudolph and his flight crew consisting of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen have all had their hooves retreaded and their brakes checked at the Maintenance Shed at CFS Alert, so as not to damage your mummy and daddy's roof. Before I forget, Please don't drink water dripping down from any yellow icicles hanging from the roof edge. It won't be Miller Lite.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
I haven't added anything to this my blog in quite a while as I am tired of being criticized for what I have to say in it. My opinions are my own and I don't subscribe to any company or organization's points of view. In spite of what some of you have had to say both to my face and otherwise, I am actually quite friendly and always have been.
I get along very well with members of my Fretz, Haskell and Hurdle families, and I very much enjoy getting together with them however I don't appreciate being treated like dirt by my Giles relatives. The same people who go out of their way not to talk to me or acknowledge that I exist except when they want something that they don't figure anybody can or will give them. Outside of the odd email from a first cousin I never hear from any of you. Even when I see you at a funeral or other event you don't speak. What have I ever done to any of you to deserve to be treated like this? The unfriendliness on your part started long before my mother passed away, for reasons unknown to me. Oh well, if that's the way you want to be, then there's not not much I can do about it, even though I have tried and will continue to do so.
I am still actively researching our Giles family even though I am receiving little or no help from any of you, its Canadian members. Of the information and photographs that were promised for inclusion in the Giles tree, much of it I have never received and I question whether there was ever any real intention to supply it and contribute to the tree. This year was the 60th Anniversary of the first Giles Reunion in 1949, a get togther that my late mother helped to organize. I was rather looking forward to going as it was a milestone event. But I was recovering from a leg injury that made it difficult to walk, so I was unable to go. Given that the Invitation/Notice arrived very late this year, there wasn't much point in sending a RSVP for it.
Research is progressing on updating the Fretz and Haskell family trees with many corrections having been received in combination with new BMD records for the various descending lines. I am appreciative of my recent visit with Doris Carnegie and in being able to meet and visit with her siblings Lorne and Lorene. I look forward to a return visit with Doris in the upcoming weeks and I am thankful to receive help with researching and recording the Haskell tree. I am hopeful that the website databases will be updated in the fall.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Yesterday I learned of the passing of two of my cousins, Don GILES of Strathroy Ontario and Michael CARNEGIE of Glencoe Ontario. Don was a first cousin to my late mother. He was always friendly and very well liked. He will be missed. In as far as I know, I never met Michael. His mother and my father are first cousins through the Haskell family. Reading of their deaths in the London Free Press is not the manner in which I like to receive updated information on the families that I am actively researching. And I am not at all surprized by the fact that neither of my uncles choose to call and to let us know about Don's passing.
Victoria Stafford, a missing 8 year old child, an innocent. From the outset of her disappearance I can't honestly say that it bothered me and maybe that's because I am not a parent. However to those who might say that I just don't care, my answer is that you are wrong. I do care but there was nothing that I could do to help find her or bring her home safe and sound.
Each time that I learn of a child that has been seriously harmed or in this case apparently murdered, it has the same effect on me. Even though I was not priviledged to know Miss Stafford or her family, I can feel their loss and I am numb. I find it difficult to fathom how anyone could hurt her in the manner that has been suggested then as media reports have indicated, murder her, then just discard her body as if she were just a piece of trash. How then can the person responsible just go about his business, ignoring the pleas for her safe return as if nothing had happened? I
don't want to be caught up in speculations of what may or may not have happened to Victoria as I know that more details and probably gruesome ones at that will come out over the next while, but one can not help but wonder what kind of an animal could this person be. What kind of a person could abduct her then help dispose of her body after the fact and then stay quiet. I also feel for the parents of children who lived in the same neighbourhood as the accused man. I hope that Victoria will come home sooner rather than later.
If Victoria Stafford has in deed passed away, I pray that she did not suffer from any injuries that may have been brought against her and I take comfort in knowing that Victoria's soul will have been set free to be with God her maker. No one can ever harm you again.
Do you know where your children are? If you don't, then find out and make absolutely sure that they're safe.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thank you to those of you who have called me and left a message on my answering machine. I am sorry that I missed being able to speak with you. I do listen to every message as quickly as possible however, I may not call you back if it means long distance. If I do not know who you are, and especially if you all you leave is your name and telephone number without any message, I definitely will not call you back. Long distance calls are very expensive for me as I do not have a calling plan and I have been laid off for more than a year now. If you have an email address please give that as part of your message. If you are some form of telemarketing - PLEASE DON'T WASTE MY TIME. Much as I like talking with family and other genealogists, if I do not call you back, I trust that you now understand why and will not think that badly of me.
When time permits and/or the weather outside is not co-operating, I am continuing to research the FRETZ, HASKELL and HURDLE families in particular. I am continuing to work on the ancestors and family of James Henry JUNE from Thamesville Ontario and I have dabbled a bit with the descendants of Duncan GARDINER and Katherine (ALLISON) from Aldborough Township of Elgin County. The former because it is part of both FRETZ and HASKELL, and the latter more out of curiousity than anything else.
What started out as an attempt to clean up my databases by correcting and verifying sources, records and linkings within families, has mushroomed into considerably more, and that's OK. It just means it will take a lot longer to finish the corrections, but at least I hope then the data presented will be correct. I have been able to secure new sources (new to me at least) that are allowing me to add more details on births, marriages, and deaths, including the affidavits, certificates, and detailed registration information. The new sources have been beneficial in also allowing me to make the corrections that I had originally started out doing. Also several people have been kind enough to email me and point a few errors in the website databases as well, and it all helps. Thank you.
The game plan is to produce major updates to most of the website databases and have them uploaded by late summer 2009. It is possible that the software that I will ultimately use at that time may be different that I what I have used in the past. I have experimented with about 6 other programmes and I was less than impressed with the results. I have another one here now that I am evaluating and so far it looks promising as far as what it can do. Go Blue Jays.
Congratulations to my uncle Les GILES on the occassion of his 80th birthday. I hope that you will have many more.
Thusday, March 26, 2009
Work continues on updating my offsite genealogy databases. I have temporarily switched from the extended FRETZ database back over to HASKELL because of the arrival of corrected and new information including photographs of HASKELL descendant's tombstones from Port Hope. I have also resumed research on the JUNE surname which is part of both the FRETZ and HASKELL trees. At the rate I am at right now, in combination with the arrival of spring and hopefully warmer weather, it may be a while before all of the various updates are completed and new web pages created. I have had the copyright and uses of data document updated and re-written. That document is the terms and condition of use for this website. Terms and conditions have been modified to reflect changing times.
Congratulations to my aunt, Doreen GILES on the occassion of her upcoming 80th birthday. I trust that she will have many more.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
It is very heart warming to know that there are people in other countries who appreciate the supreme sacrifice that our Canadian soldiers are making in Afghanistan. The enclosed link is to a Microsoft Power Point file that was emailed to me from the wife of one of my cousins. She lives in California USA and it came to her via one of her good friends who lives in Michigan. I have seen some of these images over our Canadian newscasts but this presentation brought me to tears. It made me raise my head high. There is a stereo audio track with it, so have your sound system turned on. Its a large file so you may wish to download it and save it to your hard drive. Its been virus and malware scanned and is clean.
I am Canadian, and this is who we are.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I have more or less finished atleast for now anyway, working on marriages involving the WINGER surname, and I have moved into those involving the SHERK surname. In the process of doing so I came across information on the descendants of Detrick HOOVER and Catherine (SHERK), information that I simply forgot that I had. Before I continue with the SHERK marriages, I am entering all of this data into the FRETZ database in my home computer and it should be included in the next website update as well. Thanks Helen.
I am able to multi-task so I have also started back in to researching HASKELL. In particular I am trying to correct and update the information I have on great uncle George Edway HASKELL's children and their descendants, as well as that of great uncle Isaac "Ike" HASKELL's descendants. That said, I certainly will entertain working on their sibling's families as well.
I can hardly wait for spring to arrive, so that the ground will dry and firm up a bit so that I can get back in to the cemeteries. I think that I have another HASKELL cousin living in Rodney now, so that when I can go visit my grandparents and my mother's grave, I will try to find out who this person is and how we are related. I have a rough idea who he may be but I'm not sure.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
This past Friday I resumed work on my newly reconstructed FRETZ database, both correcting and updating my record links and sources. In the process I came across a WINGER marriage where I had one partner recorded with the spouse as unknown. This is how we record it when there is known issue ("children") from a marriage and one partner's name has yet to be discovered. I checked the Ontario Marriage Registers for that marriage. I found it and I was able to extract the date, the name of the spouse, and all pertinent details. Given that I am reasonably sure that there are other marriages in my database where my information is either incomplete or non existent do to the original information source, I decided to go through the O.M.R. looking for more marriages, and I've started with those involving the WINGER surname.
I came across many that allowed me to complete or correct my records, and often involved other surnames that are inter-related to FRETZ. I also found marriages where neither partner was in my database. Given that none of their parents were either I decided to consult the databases of Daniel WENGER and David ZAVITZ, to see if they had the marriages recorded and where the parties fit into the WINGER tree. This was of great help to me and of course I found several that neither Daniel or David had recorded. Those will remain a mystery for a while anyway. I did however find the record of a marriage between a HAUN and a GILES. GILES is one of the main surnames that I am researching.
Cecil Gordon GILES was born and resided in Walpole Township of Haldimand County as did his parents and siblings. Like the Delaware GILES as I call them, that is those who resided in Delaware Township of Middlesex County, I decided to research these new families as well. The Delaware GILES originated from a different county in England and appear on the surface not to be related to us. Similarily I have not found a link to the family of Jeff GILES from St. Thomas either. It has been interesting research none-the-less. So far I have not been able to find anything in the
Walpole GILES to show connection to ours or any of the other known pockets of GILES here in Ontario.
GILES is a very common surname both in England, in the Virgina's and the Carolina's of the southern USA, and here in Ontario. I am very interested in those who were resided in Brant County, as Brantford, Ontario was the destination for Great Uncle George GILES, his wife Daisy (HERBERT) and young son Charlie after they immigrated from England. For some time now I have been researching the Brantford connection trying to determine why they came there first before making their way up to Walkers in Metcalf Township of Middlesex County. Even learning who the owner of the house was has not shed any light on why Brantford unless, some of the GILES families already living there were related to us. Time will tell.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Finally the source of most of the corruption including invalid record and source links has been discovered and removed from my personal FRETZ database. When other corrections and new information updates are completed its corresponding web database will be upgraded as well. New information and sources have been researched and are being added to my personal databases for GILES, HURDLE, and YEATMAN. Eventually those web databases will be likewise upgraded.
Friday, February 6, 2009
If the USA truly wishes to be a world leader then let them admit that the way they financially do business is the root cause of all of our economies coming apart at the seams and dropping into the toilet. The US financial establishment MUST accept the blame for this spiralling crisis. The indiscriminate loaning of money without undertaking proper credit checks and at interest rates that are either non existent or well below the prime lending rate, is absolutely insane. Somebody had to pick up the difference eventually. Why then do these "for profit" institutions have the collective nerve to cry foul for their own mistakes and demand that the US tax payers bail them out to save their incompetent fannies from the fire at the expense of hundreds of thousands of lost jobs and lives torn apart. Its not just the US taxpayers who are now on the hook but all of the economies and taxpayers in the countries of the world. Who is going to bail us out? Who is going to reimburse us for the billions of dollars in lost pensions funds because US stock markets and everybody elses are floundering?
Our economies, USA and Canada are deeply entwined. We are now screwed and in recession because the USA can not keep its house in order. All sectors of our economy are suffering as well, even Alberta. Canadians are also losing their jobs in record numbers through no fault of their own. All economies worldwide are in a mess because of the USA. Planning to fail or failing to plan? I don't believe for a moment that the USA deliberately intended to harm our Canadian economy or anyone else's for that matter, but they have. A spade is a spade. Its not our fault that the USA is in trouble, so put away your protectionist attitudes and statements as they are offensive and counter productive. Canada is the USA's largest trading partner. Is the USA going to screw us again by closing its borders to our goods and services, inspite of NAFTA? All of the economies of the world must be interactive with the USA to get all of us out of this mess. And of course, as one might anticipate, other "for profit" industries besides Wall Street, are now sticking their paws out begging to be saved.
For one hundred years or more the automobile manufacturers in North America coined "the Big 3" have produced poorly designed and poorly manufactured products that have proven to be prone to premature breakdowns of the mechanical and body systems. Collusion might be argued as no attempts were made by any of these companies to improve on the quality, reliability, or safety of their products. Afterall, if you had a problem with your GM or Ford or Chrysler car what choice did you have but to buy another one? No other competition existed and only the rich could afford to import vehicles from Europe. Thank goodness for the Asian automakers.
The financial meltdown in the USA has also effected the auto makers as well, by not freeing up credit for people to buy their products, so naturally they've gone to the US and Canadian taxpayers demanding to be bailed out or they'll go broke. Wake up Big 3 and face up to the whole truth. Part of the problem for your ever decreasing sales is of your own making. If the US and Canadian governments put taxpayer money into the automobile sectors of our respective economies so that the industry can survive, then the taxpayers in both countries have the absolute right to be involved and have a say as to how the companies are operated, how their products are designed, manufactured and marketed. What guarantee do I have as a Canadian taxpayer that existing Canadian auto plants including parts plants will remain open and their work forces intact?
I am not an accountant nor am I an engineer. I am however a consumer and a taxpayer. I am also an automobile owner and I have driven vehicles for more than 30 years. I have an understanding of how an automobile operates and how it is supposed to operate.
For many years the Big 3 and their labour unions have repeatedly complained about the influx of Asian manufactured automobiles into the North American market place and the Asian countries unwillingness to accept Big 3 products into their markets. Sales of the Asian automobiles are surpassing that of the Big 3 because the Asian products are better made, more reliable, and more fuel efficient. Just ask the consumers who buy and operate them, and the technicians who service them. North American made products are inferior by comparison so why would the Asian consumers buy them?
The Asian manufacturers primarily from Japan and Korea took the time to analyze and correct the deficiencies in the manufacture and reliability of the North American automobile as we know it. Just because things have been one way for a long time doesn't mean they should stay that way and its about time the Big 3 woke up to reality and took their collective blinders off. The Asian manufacturers products are both creative in their design and innovative with their features. They give the consumer choice through reliable and affordable alternatives.
When import restrictions and duties did not curb the sales of the Asian manufactured automobiles in North America, and the International Community ruled against the Canada-USA Auto Pact, the Asian automakers were forced to build assembly plants in North America in order to satisfy minimum content requirements of NAFTA. Plants that brought thousands of jobs to Americans and Canadians alike and improved the availability and delivery times of their product to the eager consumer.
With sales and profits still plumetting the Big 3 still didn't clue in and with their greed showing, they invested heavily into the Asian automakers in order to share in those profits, rather than fix the inherent problem. Now the unions are complaining about the Asian automakers not utilizing North American made component parts. In my opinion, component reliabilty for parts manufactured in North America has been sacrificed in favour of lower costs to the Big 3, all in the name of profit. Do North American parts manufacturers warrant their OEM products to be free of defects in materials and workmanship when supplying the Big 3? Do they issue credit to the Big 3 or replace defective products? I believe that the Asian automakers with assembly plants in North America will continue to buy the vast majority of their component parts from Asian manufacturers, either their own subsidiaries and otherwise, because of proven quality and reliability. How many times have Asian automakers had product recalls versus our Big 3? The Big 3 and the unions still don't get it.
USA and Canada: In order for our deeply entwined automobile industries to survive, the Big 3, all of their component parts manufacturers, the fuel manufacturers, all levels of government in both countries, and YOU and I the consumer, MUST come together and redefine what the North American automobile will be and how it will be made, then make it happen sooner than later. There is far more at stake here than someones corporate profit - its our collective survival for years to come.
I sincerely believe that our governments hopefully free of lobbyist influences and assuming they have the balls, will have to enact immediate legislation to bring the corporate components of our survival party to the table, and force them to open their eyes, take these issues seriously, and participate constructively in a viable solution to benefit the whole as opposed to their historic greed - the almighty dollar. Especially considering that yours and mine hard earned tax dollars are involved.
These are my thoughts and opinions. I'm not an activitist nor do I have any agenda against the Big 3, their suppliers, or their labour unions, but I do like chocolate cake and homemade cherry pie. Thanks for comin' out.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Work continues on a major update to my FRETZ database consisting of corrections, new information, and previous strays now linked into one or more of the families that make up descendants of Lancaster John Fretz.
I have also revised the cover pages that are included with the published results of my research. Page 1 of those publications now includes a COPYRIGHT NOTICE in conjunction with the existing statement of copyright. These are the publications that I discretely make available from time to time usually to members of my family or to libraries. Because I continue to have issues with some people taking my copyrighted research and using it however they see fit "without" having obtained permission from me, I have added a detailed explanation of my copyright. I am including an excerpt from the updated cover pages that details important information on my copyright.
excerpt begins
All research, genealogical and otherwise, undertaken by Brian L. Hurdle ("I", "me", "my", "his") into the history of the families of his ancestors and their descendants is his copyright, his moral rights, and his property. His copyright, his moral rights, and his property have not been assigned or sold. Other genealogists may come to similar conclusions working from their own independent research utilizing the same or different sources of information.
Alteration, copying, duplication, replication, reproduction, sale, or use of his research or the published results
("publication") thereof, regardless of the publication title(s), the date(s) or whom it was produced for or why, whether in whole or in part, in any form or manner and in any media whatsoever, without his express written consent is prohibited.
Brian L. Hurdle may at his discretion produce for any person, by way of a gift or sale, a published copy of the results of his research to date. The publication is created explicitly for that person's personal use only with no other rights granted or implied. The copyright of Brian L. Hurdle shall be in full force at all times, "without" exception.
(C) Copyright 1983-2009 Brian L. Hurdle. All rights are reserved.
excerpt ends
I have been researching the my family history, genealogy, ancestry, whatever name you choose for more than 26 years now and I have had no choice but to copyright my research in order to protect it from those who would far rather take my work as opposed to doing their own. I'm all for sharing my information with interested family members and other researchers with family lines that inter-relate to mine, however common courtesy and observance of the law dictates that you ask me first if you wish to use my research and accept whatever answer and terms of use that I may give you. Don't expect me to hand you everything either.
If you wanted to do your own family history project and do all of your own independent research, then fine, all the more power to you. If you needed some help, then all you had to do was ask me. I was only too willing to help you get started including providing you with some factual data and you could have had an updated authorized copy of my publication produced for you to use.
If you have an authorized copy of one of my publications, that I have produced, and one that I have given to you or you are able to view one borrowed from someone else, regardless of whose copy you are using, you are obligated to respect my copyright, period - no exception. Some of you are educated well enough to know and understand what "copyright" means and yet you ignore it. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material amounts to theft pure and simple.
After spending 20 plus years trying to beautify your property, how would you like it if someone came along, dug up the sod from your lawn and the plants from your garden and took them without your knowledge or permission?
This is one of the issues that causes me to boycott certain family reunions. Sharing honey and all of its goodness is far better than salty stale vinegar that makes people ill. Too bad some of you haven't figured that out by now. Maybe there is hope for you yet.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
2009 is upon us and mother nature has continued where she left off in 2008. Since the first major snow fall in the latter half of 2008, the snow blower has been out 11 times along with the 4 or 5 times where I shovelled out the driveway. Had it not been for the thaw a few weeks ago we would have residential snow banks approaching 8 or 9 feet in some places.
This blog was revised today and now consists of 3 pages, this becoming page 3.
For the previous page, please select page 2.
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