Do you have an ancestor named John Smith? Well, I do! And trying to find him has been nothing short of a challenge.
There are stories told down the generations that shift and form with every telling. One family history story engrained on my father’s side was of a Native American lineage. I never knew what tribe we were connected to or asked what kind of documentation he had.
I knew that my paternal grandfather had Irish roots and my grandmother Native American. That was enough info to run with. I had no problem identifying myself with either nationality. In fact, I quite embraced both cultures.
Two years ago, when I started my foray into genealogy, I struggled with my dad’s ancestors. The Irish spelled the surname multiple ways, even a generation after immigrating, and typically went by their middle names. There are 3 generations of Michael Francis’ who all went by Frank. So, was Frank Sr.’s father’s name actually Thomas or would his birth certificate show otherwise. It definitely makes for a challenging search.
However, trying to find a Jonathon Smith in the 1800s has me stumped. I know that the Smith side of my family lived, and some still do, in Michigan but according to records John was born in NY or CT. So I focused my attention on the women instead. In doing so, I may very well have found the strongest connection to Native American confirmation.
I know that we come from the Potawatomi tribe and apparently my 2nd great-grandfather, a Smith, married a woman with the last name of McKenzie. I’ve traced her family to Scotland then they moved to Canada where the Potawatomi tribe may have strong connections.
I never would’ve thought that’s where I’d find what I was looking for. But that’s normally what happens!
NEXT WEEK: Coal mining and trucking: Maternal side
Branches and Leaves 