World War I saw the death of quite a few of my grandfather's cousins but World War II saw the end of the male line of Edward Blake in England - twelve children (seven sons and five daughters) although two died as infants/young children and one as a slightly older child. Two daughters died in childbirth. My father always spoke of his father's family as numbering seven which I found interesting when I discovered all the children of Edward and Maria Jane (Knight) Blake at a much later time long after my father had died in 1998 at the age of 94 years. He also mentioned that his mother had three siblings - two brothers and a sister (just one was missed, the baby that he was named after actually Ernest Edward Taylor). Was it old age on his part, I think he had dementia in retrospect which started up when he was around 88 years of age about the same time as his stroke. Nevertheless, my brothers (four of them) were the end of the Blake yDNA line from Edward Blake in the world. There are still a number of Blake yDNA descendants of John Blake and Ann Farmer as they had ten children - five sons and five daughters. This line of descendants now numbers in the many hundreds most of whom still live in England.
Today I shall be present online at the Memorial Service in Ottawa. Remembering all the fallen in Canada and the numbers were huge in World War I for such a small country at the time - fewer fallen in World War II but none the less all missed by their families through the ages that followed.
Today another research day working on Chromosome 20 which has some good matches letting me readily phase it but now I want to move to great grandparent level so will see what I can do with that.
Perhaps it is the times, but God seems close to the earth these days. Watching and waiting perhaps wondering if Homo sapiens has the ability to continue moving forward in time. There is much to do; the world to heal from environmental damage. Russia needs to withdraw from Ukraine and stop their butchery there. What will happen to Russia - an ancient country in the Old World. Can her people finally put an end to the evil leaders that have predominated since Lenin and give these people a life that they can all live and be proud Russians once again.
The Bible Reading today is poignant "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God." Democracies are founded on such principles and may truth prevail.
The red sunrise awaits us as always with the warning for sailors at sea as I recall from my grandfather - Red sun in the morning sailors take warning. Interesting all these old sayings passing down from generation to generation.
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