A brief history of my family history

As you probably know, family history is one of my passions in life. Occasionally I am asked, "How did you get started with family history?"

When I was about 10 years old I told my dad. I know the story of Mom's side of the family, but what is the story of the Buchanans?

Dad told me that his grandfather. John, was a teenager when he left Ireland with his family in a wooden sailing ship. This was in 1847 to escape the starvation of the great Irish famine. When they were out to sea 10 days they ran into a terrible storm. The ship was damaged so badly that it had to return for repairs,

On their second attempt a plague of fever broke out and some people died.

While they were quarantined at Kingston, Ontario, John's father died of the fever.

The family came west and became pioneer settlers in a dense forest of huge trees.

I think I was hooked on family history at that point. I have developed a deep love and appreciation for my own folk, however humble they may be.

In 1962 I gathered family history from my relatives in Alberta. Then I hitch-hiked to Neepawa. Manitoba where Dad was born, looking for more family history. At the newspaper office, someone suggested that I contact Mervyn Buchanan, who was interested in Buchanan family history. So I found Merv, and he invited me to stay with his family, and after work he would take me to visit elderly relatives in other towns. After a few days, I hitch-hiked back to Calgary with a stack of family group records and a few pedigree charts. I arranged these into a basic family history. (Hitch-hiking was popular in the 1960s, but I definitely don't advise it today.)

Then a mission in France, marriage, university, children  and a career became the major focuses of my life.

But in 1977, my work took me to High Prairie, Alberta, where I was asked "Bill Buchanan, are you related to Gordon Buchanan, who owns the local sawmill?" I said it was possible, but probably not. He said, "Well, Gordon is from Manitoba,. so maybe not." After supper, I drove to Gordon's house. I explained that I was interested in family history , and I wondered if we were related. He brought out an 8.5" x 14" type-written book titled "The Buchanan Family Tree". I recognized the names of the people. Gordon showed me where he was listed and I showed him where I was listed, We were definitely cousins. But of much more interest to me was the book itself. Where I had gathered a few hundred names, this book had thousands.

None of my family contacts had mentioned the book, Since I was quoted on the front page, they naturally assumed that I knew of it. Over the following months I tried to get a copy of it. The former Neepawa postmaster who compiled it had moved away and none of my contacts knew where. ,,, I was getting nowhere.

Then one day a package arrived in the mail containing a copy of the book and a letter that basically said. "I am very old and I live with my daughter's family, so I am sending you my book. I can always use my daughter's copy of the book. I want you to have my copy." Bless you, Annie B McMane!!! By now photocopiers were available, and I gratefully sent her one of the photocopies I made.

Some years later, I acquired a computer and the Personal Ancestral File software, so I entered all of the book's data into the software and sent a GEDCOM file to the Family History Library's Ancestral File, and later the Pedigree Resource File. and FamilySearch.org.

Well, that is enough of my adventures over the past 60 years. I owe a debt of gratitude to all who have helped me along the way. 

I hope that you have enjoyed your own family history adventures. 

Bill