Ancestor Approved Award

 Many thanks to Evelyn Yvonne Theriault for the Ancestor Approved award!  It really made my day, Evelyn!

It's my job, now, to "list ten things I've learned about any of my ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened me, and to pass the award along to ten other bloggers whom I feel are doing their ancestors proud."

1.  I was definitely humbled at the story of Rebecca Lair, my ancestral grandmother.  That lady is an inspiration on how to survive bad circumstances.

2.  I was surprised to learn of my grandmother's experiences in Norway during World War II.  And very humbled.  Would I have the guts to have lived her life as well as she did??

3.  I was surprised to discover my grandfather's long lost brother, in Iceland, and a whole new group of wonderful cousins.  It truly is a small world, and it gave me hope of breaking down some other brick walls.

4. I was surprised to learn how many of my husband's ancestors were early pioneers in various areas, founding towns and living in some very primitive conditions.

5. I was enlightened to learn how difficult life could be for a new Irish immigrant in this country in the 1850s, and the ethnic prejudice that they had to endure.

6. I was delighted to learn more of my great-grandfather, Justin Meyer Jørgensen; not only facts about him, but stories and bits of information about him personally, and his part in family dynamics.  I thought this information was unattainable, until I met my cousin, Tove, from Norway.  Never stop hoping for the details you want so desperately.

7. Learning that my husband's grandparents stowed away on a train, to get where they needed to go, was a startling discovery!

8. Researching my husband's line, which includes numerous physicians, was definitely an education in early medical practices.  Yikes!  But also reading in old newspapers about how many times Dr. Seeman of Rockham, South Dakota, was summoned for various emergencies, makes me so proud of him.  He was a dedicated country doctor.

9.  I was surprised to learn that my husband's great-grandmother, Frances Stemper Joyce, delivered so many babies and tended to her sick neighbors, with her own large family to take care of.

10.  I was delighted to learn my earliest ancestor "on this side of the pond" was here in 1623.  It's staggering to comprehend that much elapsed time.

Now - for the blogs I would like to pass the award to.  It was really tough to make a decision, as I love to read so many blogs, but here they are, in no particular order:

1. Branching Out Through the Years
2. Reflections From the Fence
3. What's Past is Prologue
4. Those Old Memories
5. Bits and Pieces
6. Lessons From My Ancestors
7. Desperately Seeking Surnames
8. The Ties That Bind
9. I Will Remember
10. Stardust 'n' Roots

Thanks again to Evelyn for the award, and thanks to all the bloggers who produce such interesting reading on our favorite topic.