A Shaking Leaf Told Me So

 I know that we like to make fun of Ancestry's little shaking leaf, but it really cleared up a mystery for me recently.  Actually, it was a mystery that I had even forgotten about.  In an old box of pictures that my Grandma Ritchie gave me - many of which were picture of my Grandpa Ritchie's family - was this adorable picture.  As you can see, it was taken in Scotland.  On the back, in my Grandma's handwriting it says, "Bill & Hildegard".  At one point she and I had gone through these pictures because "Ritchie" is added in my handwriting.  I didn't think to ask her how it was possible that Bill & Hildegarde, both born in Cleveland, Ohio happened to have their pictures taken in Scotland.  I have to admit that at the time I was so wrapped up in names - either added them to my genealogy or making sure I knew who was in all the pictures - that I never asked any OTHER questions.

So, many, MANY years later I came across this picture and couldn't figure it out. 

I put the picture away and forgot about it - totally forgot about it.  Then, a few weeks ago I was going through my hints - the shaking leaves - and got a hint for Hildegarde Ritchie.  The hint said it was an arrival record in 1905.  Well, I KNEW that was wrong because Hildegarde was born in this country.  Still, it's not that common a name, and I always like to look at a hint before I dismiss it, so I clicked on the actual record.  I was so surprised to see a record for Mary, William and Hildegarde Ritchie - with both of the children noted as "US born".  So this was "my" Hildegarde!  I never knew that my great-grandmother went back to Scotland to visit her family.

Seeing this tickled something in my mind and I remembered seeing this picture - it all came together.  I know this is hardly a stunning discovery - or even a brick wall.  But it was a proof that the names on the back of this picture were correct and it also gave me a look into the life of this family that I hadn't known.  Mary Benzie was only 17 when she came to the USA.  Here she was, 10 years later, coming back from a visit to her parents in Scotland.

Family Events ~ March 1 - 7

William BENZIE - my great-great-grandfather died on March 2, 1922 in Inverurie, Scotland.



Erma Christina GRABER MALCUIT - my great-great-aunt died on March 3, 1984 in Ohio.


Anna STETLER - my 4x great-grandmother died on March 5, 1882 in Wayne County, Ohio.

James Swinton RITCHIE - my great-uncle was born on March 7, 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio.

[Something that I am shamelessly stealing from Julie over at GenBlog is this idea of showing what events happened during the coming week in my family history. Thanks Julie!!]

Tombstone Tuesday ~ BENZIE, William & family

This week it was an easy choice. As I mentioned in my Sunday Random Relative post on Mary BENZIE, she came to the United States without her parents, who had remained in Scotland. So, today I picked her parent's gravestone in Inverurie.

Erected
by
William Benzie
Inverurie
In memory of this daughter
Barbara Shepherd
who died Nov 5, 1890
Aged 5 years & 10 months
Also his son William
Who died in infancy
And daughter Annie Leith
Died Oct 17, 1893
Aged 3 years & 5 months
His Wife
Helen Lumsden
Died April 16, 1919 aged 69 years
The said
William Benzie
Died March 3, 1922, aged 78 Years

What is even more special about this selection, is that I took the picture myself. In May, 2007 I had to opportunity to go to Scotland with my parents. We took a trip focused around the locations where my father's paternal grandparents had lived. Part of that trip took us to Inverurie.

I could probably spend a full year blogging just about that trip and all the wonderful things we saw. It is just truly amazing how those names on a chart can come to life when you see the churches and villages and start to imagine your ancestors there.

Here is a full picture showing my dad standing beside the stone.