Looking at 20 to 25 it appears Banker's Boxes of Research was daunting these past few weeks and they have grown recently as fresh discoveries were made. I really wondered how I would ever manage to do what I wanted and felt needed to be done to finish/complete/pay proper respect to Edward's years of research into his family lines. I was never enthused as he was. Way back in the late 60s (right after we bought a car actually in 1967) we were in pursuit of those elusive ancestors of his. Visiting many farm auctions where we bought up boxes of books acquiring some really interesting material (I do like history) some of which went to Western and others he kept because they were about his family. From an historical point of view I did find the work to be most interesting but I was always somewhat convinced that I knew my history well enough. My grandfather (paternal) lived with us and talked about the Blake family a lot and my grandmother (maternal) did talk a little about families but some of the stories were a bit fanciful and that lost my interest very early on. Nothing actually inspired me to find the truth in all the years that she lived and after even when my mother wanted Ed to write a 50th Wedding Anniversary Book for my parents to include a genealogical tree. By then my family realized his interest as well! I did read through parish registers at that time to help out (after all it was my family Edward said!). But the interest wasn't there. It did take an interesting set of circumstances in 2003 to generate an interest but a cousin of mine and DNA played a huge role in all of that.
Ed published a Kipp family history in 1976 which I actually typed for him and sold a couple of hundred copies as I recall having taken them to the post office to mail them way back then. It actually took quite a while to do all of that the mailing that is. With a baby in tow I only took a couple of them at a time.
Becoming a member of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society around 1980 when his cousin (knowing his interest in their mutual family) persuaded him to go to the Ottawa Branch Meeting with him was something he really enjoyed. They had a great time. I could hear them chatting later over a cup of tea and pound cake after they got back. Not sure how many meetings they went to together but Ed enjoyed that friendship between them. I would have said Edward and Gordon Riddle were a lot alike both having grown up in rural Ontario but they were only third cousins.
But I digress from the topic of research boxes. Remembering Edward's Research Blogs was a great move forward in my thinking. This was a possibility for publishing what was in those boxes I suddenly realized. My writing to a lot of strangers in Edward's email was something that would take me a long time to get to but I didn't really have to do that. I could just publish it and anyone interested could read what he had to say. The marvels of the modern age do save reclusive people like me from having to go out into the world and do things. I am still involved in the world; we all are but I can do it from my keyboard without having to go out and engage with people I do not know. My circle is already big enough with siblings/siblings in law/cousins/ nephews/nieces/great nephews/great nieces and my own nuclear family. I can be quite friendly and did make great efforts in the past because Edward wished me to do that but it is an effort and I would really rather not make friends as it requires a certain give on your part to include people in your circle especially if they desire to become too involved in your life. Being on the outside looking in is a good spot for me. So thank you to the inventor of blogs; you have made my desire to make Edward's research available so much easier and better in actual fact.
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