52 Ancestors No.3: Thomas and Elizabeth Conlon

This is the third of 52 blog posts for the 2015 edition of the 52 Ancestors challenge. I have been blogging my family history for the #52Ancestors challenge since it began in 2014.

#52Ancestors asks bloggers to "have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.”

This week's blog post is about Thomas and Elizabeth (Greer) Conlon who are the parents of my husband's paternal grandmother Margaret Veronica (Conlon) Foreman (spouse of Donald Jennings Foreman).

Donald Jennings and Margaret (Rita) (Conlon) Foreman in 1912

I was excited to have a number of breakthroughs on this family tree with thanks to two descendants who shared obituaries, photographs and anecdotal information that led to more breakthroughs!

That's the fun part about genealogy. One thing inevitably leads to another.

The first great gift was the obituary for Rita (Conlon) Foreman that was sent to me by a Conlon descendant.

The Sunday Star
11 October 1981

Where Were 

Thomas Conlon and Elizabeth Greer Born?

The second lead came in the form of a death certificate for Rita's brother Thomas (born in 1870 Ireland - April 26, 1928 York, Ontario). The details in the death registration answered the question about where Thomas Conlon and Elizabeth Greer were born?

1928 Death certificate for Thomas Conlon showing
Mother Elizabeth Greer was born in Scotland
Father Thoams Conlon was born in Ireland

We also know from this information that the family was living in Ireland around 1870 (when Thomas was born)

The third great breakthrough this weekend was the discovery of three wonderful photographs sent to me from a Foreman descendant of the Conlon family. Photographs really enhace a family history and are so important to the story of our ancestors. I am so thankful for these (the two below and the one above).

Thomas and Elizabeth (Greer) Conlon
Mother and father of Margaret Veronica (Conlon) Foreman

The Conlon Clan

From this very basic information (obituaries, death records, oral histories, photographs etc)  that were shared and located over the weekend (thanks to two Foreman and Conlon descendants) many more interesting leads will be followed and much more research lays ahead!

This is what makes genealogy so exciting!

Now why did Margaret Veronica (Conlon) Foreman fondly recall Hadrian's Wall in her childhood reminiscences?

Frederick Dixon Foreman and Anna Hegna

I received an email today with a photograph of the headstone for Frederick Dixon Foreman and Anna Hegna.

The York Cemetery staff assisted me in breaking through a genealogical "brick wall" by locating Frederick's burial place and his date of death.

York Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario

From the cemetery information, I was able to locate Frederick's obituary in the Toronto Star. It is interesting how if refers to his wife "Hannah" when the headstone reads "Anna". Throughout my research, I have found both spellings for her.

Obituaries are helpful to locate other relatives as well. In this example we learn more about Frederick's children Lola, Geraldine, Donald, Shirley and Patricia.

Obituary for Frederick Dixon Foreman (1951)

Obituary Anna (Hegna) Foreman (1965)

2015: 52 Ancestors: Week1 - Fresh Start

Thankfully Amy Crow has decided to host the 52 Ancestors - the 2015 edition again and this year's challenge will be the same as 2014 with a few new and interesting twists. This year, in addition to weekly postings of individual ancestors, there will be weekly themes

Week 1's theme is:

 Fresh Start — "Seems appropriate for the beginning of the year. What ancestor had a fresh start? What ancestor has been so confusing to research that you’d like to have a fresh start?"

I have had an exciting fresh start this week on my husband's family history (Surname: Foreman) thanks in large part to a simple search in the Toronto Stars Archives (for only $9.95 for one week).

I found an obituary for his grandfather Donald Jennings Foreman. (1911-1967)

This discovery gave me Donald Jenning's siblings and when I added that genealogical information to my ancestry.ca research I then found the Foreman family on the 1911 (Calgary, Alberta) and 1921 census (Beamsville, Ontario).

Donald Jenning's mothers name was a real brickwall and there she was on the censuses - Hannah! (Hannah Hegna a Norwegian ancestor). Her birthplace in the census was U.S.A. (later determined to be Spokane, Washington) and all of Hannah's siblings and Hannah's marriage certificate to Frederick Dixon Foreman (Donald's father) followed!

By morning, my ancestry.ca app looked like this:

A fresh start indeed! I am so excited to see what's in store in 2015.

All from one brickwall and one obituary!


Link:

• Toronto Stars Archives