FAMILY CONNECTIONS

This is my Uncle Burt Winspear, Grandpa Jim's younger brother. I love this photo of him! He was about to be made captain when he died fighting a fire in Buffalo, NY in1975. He and his wife, Margie, had four children. Recently his daughter Donna left a couple e-mails on Grandpa Jim's blog. I contacted her by e-mail and then we spoke by phone. We have not been close over the years. We moved from Buffalo when I was 14 years old and Donna was a baby. I remember Grandma Bessie was so delighted with Donna because she finally had a grandchild with red hair like her own! 

When I was 18 Linda and I went back to Buffalo for a visit.

 Linda, Cheryl, Donna on my lap, Grandma Bessie and Margie

When Dad and I lived in Rochester for a brief while we saw Aunt Margie and her family again. Donna had grown up and had twin girls, by then. Cheryl couldn't make it that night and I hope to connect with her soon also.

Now another 20 years has passed! I am so delighted to be talking to my cousin again. And now I find that we have something in common that we can share. Donna has recently taken an interest in genealogy! We spoke for over an hour last week catching up on family and family history. She and her daughter, Lindsay-in the above photo, have been going to the County Court House and looking up records and searching microfilms. etc. They also went to the Lancaster Rural Cemetery where my mom and Jennie and I went back in 1988 to the Winspear family plot. Donna was as thrilled as I was to find the resting place of almost all our ancestors (the American ones).

It is a rather funny feeling to go to the cemetery and find all the grave stones. We felt the presence of our ancestors around us. Of course we know their spirits have moved on, but somehow we felt them, as though they were watching and knew we were there searching for them and wanting to say hello!

Our Winspear ancestors left Yorkshire, England in 1831 and settled in the Buffalo area. They raised large families and were active in their communities. Donna teaches 5th grade and talks about them to her class as part of their local history of Cheektowaga, NY. Isn't it fascinating that her family is still located in this same community where our ancestors settled? Her daughter is the eighth generation living there! 

Just thought you might like to know...