Cousin Bait

 When I read up on this challenge from Generations Cafe, Cousin Bait, I realized that I'd recently done this...throw something out on the family tree and see how many cousins you can catch. In the past I have mostly pursued info on the direct line of parents to grandparents to great grandparents and on.  I paid little attention to siblings and children, just listing them. My goal has always been to see how far back in time I could go in recording ancestors. I really hoped I would find that I'm a Daughter of the American Revolution. (I think I am!)

Recently I posted some old family photos on my paternal great grandmother's page and voila....a second cousin connected with me. We exchanged a few notes and I'm sure will continue to share pictures. This success has prompted me to research in greater depth, that is, siblings and spouses of my direct line of grandparents. I love to find pictures of relatives on other family trees or census info that tells the occupations of family members. I've found tinsmiths, shoe makers, store owners, streetcar conductors, army engineers and soldiers! I have not found a woman yet who was anything other than housewife.

 This handsome guy is Sydney Clifford McDearmid, my great uncle, born in 1883. At age 16 he was a salesman in a dry goods store, in 1930 he is listed as a mechanic in a machine shop. He was obviously in the military, maybe WW1. He died in 1970 at age 87 so he saw a lot of wars in his lifetime. Nice to meet you, Uncle Sydney!

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