Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year I discovered that my wife descends from the Pilgrim William Brewster who was on the Mayflower. So for today I though I would show my son's relationship.

Elder William Brewster (ca 1567-1644)
Jonathan Brewster (1593-1659)
Grace Brewster (1639-1684)
Mary Wetherell (1668-1711)
Sarah Denison (1710-1797)
William Douglass (1731-1805)
Ivory Douglass (1761-1825)
Phebe Douglass (1787-1867)
Anastasia Noallis Douglass (1825-1906)
Monroe Emilious Hawver (ca 1845-1879)
Benjamin Monroe Hawver (1877-1938)
Beatrice Marie Hawver (1901-1992)
Lawrence Benjamin Wisner (b 1924)
Raymond Lawrence Wisner (b 1948)
Sandee Denise Wisner (b 1975)
Nicholas Todd Broersma (b. 2003)

Wordless Wednesday - Gecko Hawaii

Happy Birthday Grandma Wisner

Today was my wife's grandma's birthday (Jennie Allene (Orrell) Wisner). She turned 89. She has a happy attitude, but unfortunately she does not remember us. Her memory is basically all gone. We were able to take some 4 generation pictures though today to help us remember her.

Happy Birthday Grace (van Hofwegen) Adema

Today would be my Great Grandma's 99th birthday. She was born on 14 November 1904 and lived to be 87. This is a picture of me and my sister with her in the late 80's.

Happy Veterans Day - Lawrence Wisner

My grandfather is a veteran of World War II. He was in the campaign in Europe and was over there during the invasion on D-Day. He is living his days out quietly in his home. Happy Veterans Day, grandpa.

Boothill Cemetery

The Clanton's and McLaury's are not related to me, but I visited Boothill Cemetery in Tombstone Arizona on a family trip once. The gunfight at the OK Corral happened on 26 October 1881, which was 131 years ago today.

The Haunted Mansion Picture

In our family we have a number of portraits of relatives that have been handed down. A few of them are rather large and have thick golden frames. We joke around that they look like portraits that might be seen in The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. One of them in particular looks scarier than the others. It is oval in shape, and is of an old woman in black with a stern look on her face.

The portrait is of my 3 great grandmother, Teitje Dirks Reitsma. She was born 176 years ago today, on 13 October 1836. I looked it up and it was not on a Friday, but rather Thursday the 13th when she was born. She was, however, married on October 31st, 1863. Her husband was Hendrik Tjeerd Visbeek.

Today this portrait can be seen in one of the guest bedrooms of my parents' house, hanging on the wall opposite the bed, so she can watch you while you sleep.