Digging Up Our Family Tree

Herbert Jerry (holding gun) with his parents and brothers Edward, Bert, and Bill. I love this picture of Granddad Jerry. He looks so confident. I could have made it smaller so it didn't bleed into the rest of the blog but I wanted everyone (especially those of us who are older) to be able to see it clearly. When my siblings and I talk about Granddad Jerry we always mention the moss covered tree stumps on his property that we pretended were pirate treasure. One time while walking around the property with Granddad and Dad we saw a nest of baby snakes. At Rod and Donna McLeod's during my university days I met an older man from Lavallee area who knew Granddad Jerry. He told me while granddad plowed the fields he had one hand on the oxen reins and in the other hand was an axe.When he hit a tree root he’d slam the axe into the root to cut it. I picture him as a large and strong man. Jim and Jan remember the family going to his house on Sunday and he would give them canned ...

John Dunn circa 1901 Edward John Dunn is Granddad Dunn’s father. John was born September 2, 1876 in West Nissouri Township near London, Ontario. He was the first son and second child of William and Janet Dunn (nee Bryce). John lived most of his life in Muskoka. His family was quite poor and his father was given a free land grant in Muskoka with all administrative fees waived .   Long before Muskoka became cottage country the Ontario government decided to increase immigration to the north. The Free Grant and Homesteads Act of the 1860’s gave anyone over the age of 18 200 acres of land with the conditions that they built a house, clear land, live there for 6 months of the year and after 5 years the land was theirs. I’m not sure what kind of land William Dunn received but most of the land in Muskoka is Canadian Shield which is rock and muskeg, much like Fort Frances. It wasn’t the best land for farming. But the family survived there.   Picture of Teenie for Jac...