I got up early yesterday morning thinking of all the things that needed doing yesterday. With the time change happening last week, I'd been trying to get home before dark, so I hadn't run some of the errands I normally would. Anyhoo - I woke up early, had my devotional time, worked out, made breakfast, and then sat down to watch this week's episode of "Finding Your Roots" while I ate. That kind of got me thinking on one of my great-great grandmothers, so I thought I'd jump on the Ancestry app real quick. I use the term real-quick real loosely. Because two hours later, I had added a bunch to my family tree in Ancestry, and learned quite a bit about her and her husband's ancestors.
My great-great grandmother was named Rose Strein. She was the only child of Augustus C. Strein, who was from Hesse, Germany, and Kate (or Christena) Ellenberger, whose parents were also from Germany. According to the 1870 census, old Augustus was a Saloon Proprietor in Kansas City, MO.
Rose married a man named Horace Roy, who was born in Montreal, Quebec. Interestingly, Roy was not his original last name. He was born Horace Des Rochers, and he was the oldest child in a very large family. His father, Azarie Des Rochers, was a carriage maker, who married Hermine Larocque. Both families had already been in Quebec for hundreds of years before Horace was born. I don't know what prompted Horace to come to the U.S., let alone settle in Kansas City. But despite their humble beginnings, together Rose and Horace overcame them, and settled down to the respectable life of a banker's family.
For various reasons, I've never really been drawn to the ancestors on this side of the family. But this kind of changed for me yesterday. Now I know why I loved Montreal and it's cobblestone streets so much, and why I'm eager to go back.
Needless to say, some of the things I had planned on doing yesterday never really happened. I guess the moral of the story is never assume you'll go on the Ancestry App "real quick". Because you'll never know what you might find.
My great-great grandmother was named Rose Strein. She was the only child of Augustus C. Strein, who was from Hesse, Germany, and Kate (or Christena) Ellenberger, whose parents were also from Germany. According to the 1870 census, old Augustus was a Saloon Proprietor in Kansas City, MO.
Rose married a man named Horace Roy, who was born in Montreal, Quebec. Interestingly, Roy was not his original last name. He was born Horace Des Rochers, and he was the oldest child in a very large family. His father, Azarie Des Rochers, was a carriage maker, who married Hermine Larocque. Both families had already been in Quebec for hundreds of years before Horace was born. I don't know what prompted Horace to come to the U.S., let alone settle in Kansas City. But despite their humble beginnings, together Rose and Horace overcame them, and settled down to the respectable life of a banker's family.
For various reasons, I've never really been drawn to the ancestors on this side of the family. But this kind of changed for me yesterday. Now I know why I loved Montreal and it's cobblestone streets so much, and why I'm eager to go back.
Needless to say, some of the things I had planned on doing yesterday never really happened. I guess the moral of the story is never assume you'll go on the Ancestry App "real quick". Because you'll never know what you might find.
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