In my mid-twenties, I had the opportunity to live with my paternal grandparents, Donald Fredrick (Fred) Fleming and Edith Doris Dick for a period of about 2 years. I should take a moment to explain why my surname does not follow theirs. My actual paternal grandfather, James Benson Dawson, passed away in 1966 when my dad was only 16 years old so I didn’t get a chance to meet him. My grandmother remarried to Fred Fleming before I was born so he was always “grandpa” to me.

I call this an opportunity while others may not relish the idea of living with relatives 3-4 times their age. During my time with them, I learned to stop and listen to the stories that I had heard many, many times as a child but had simply tuned out while they were being related to myself and the rest of the family over Sunday dinners. I learned so much about their lives and not just the basic information that you get from birth, marriage and death records but actual STORIES!

My grandmother would tell me of her days on the farm in Huron County and their trips to Goderich or even all the way to London for a special trip. She would add additional details about how she used to sneak out of the house at night and get her dancing clothes from the mailbox that she had strategically placed there planning for her evening outing without her parent’s knowledge. She would brag about how she was the only woman chosen to be an electrician at the airplane manufacturing plant during World War II. My grandpa wasn’t as much of a story teller. However, he had an incredibly interesting life of his own. He had been studying anthropology in his younger years and was working towards his doctorate when it was interrupted by WWII. He then signed up for the Navy and unfortunately, did not complete his studies but rather went to work eventually being diagnosed with MS and having to take an early retirement. I believe he was one of the most brilliant men I’ve ever met and he could speak to just about any subject.

During my stay, I got rummaging through the basement one day and found a copy of my grandfather’s family tree which, I came to learn, he had been working on for most of his own life and had published into a book which was made it available to any family members that wanted a copy. Since he was my step-grandfather, it primarily contained information on his ancestral line. However, he had made an effort to include my grandmother and a few generations of our tree as well. I immediately became interested in his research on the family and had many conversations with him about it and his research. Of course, he had used all the traditional methods of the time including mailing (actual mail…not e-mail) distant relatives for information and patiently waiting their response. His entire tree had been typed up one page at a time on an old typewriter he had in a makeshift office in the basement. No computers….no Internet…just old fashioned research and patience.

I thought I’d start where he left off. I bought myself a copy of Broderbund Family Tree Maker V4 and started entering the information that he had already researched to build on. I have worked on my Family Tree off and on for over 20 years now often bugging my relatives for additional information, pictures, documents, and most recently for their DNA. Many trips were made to cemeteries all over the place which I found interesting and educational while at the same time, bringing me closer to those long-lost relatives. I’ve logged more hours searching the Internet for elusive relatives than I’d like to admit but don’t regret a single second! I took my own DNA test in 2013 in hopes that it would help with my research. Unfortunately, it was a few years before I saw the benefits of this endeavor but it was well worth the wait!

In the last few years, I have stepped up my game and have been much more involved in the genealogical community. I joined the local branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (now called Ontario Ancestors) and within a couple years have become Co-Chair of the London & Middlesex branch. I have also lectured to both our own branch as well as several other branches around Southwestern Ontario on subjects including cemetery transcription, genealogical software, and genetic genealogy (DNA). I administer the London & Middlesex Branch Facebook page as well as my own Middlesex OGS Genetic Genealogy page focusing on genetic genealogy and in December 2018, I created an additional DNA group called Ontario Canada DNA Matchfinder which is dedicated to connecting people with DNA matches that specifically have Ontario, Canada ancestry in common which has been very successful.

With the evolution of genetic genealogy over the last few years, I have dedicated a lot of time learning how this technology can help me with my research and have found it to be an invaluable tool. When combined with traditional genealogical research, it is a power addition to the toolbox I use to confirm my research. I have identified a very large learning gap between those doing traditional genealogy and those that have made the leap to adding genetic genealogy to their list of tools and hope to close that gap with informative posts.

What started out as simple curiosity and a fascination with old stories related to me by my grandparents while sitting up late drinking tea and playing solitaire with my grandma turned into a lifelong hobby (ok…obsession) that I thoroughly enjoy. I get excited relaying to my family my latest discoveries and enjoy helping others break down their family tree brick walls in the process. I hope that my journey inspires you. Even if you don’t fully get into genealogy, I hope that you take the time to talk to and learn from your family. Understand their story, where they come from and how it has helped influence your life in any way. Everyone has a story…you just have to be willing to hear it!