Vacation in Michigan and Ontario, Canada included a visit to some towns where ancestors lived once upon a time. In Kent County, Ontario, Canada, we located the property of the Tasker farm. There was even a road named after one of the early settlers, William Tasker, who married my great, great Aunt Philadelphia Butcher Tasker. Philadelphia, a spinster, sailed from England in 1874. Family lore says that she met an older gentleman, a widower, on board, knew him for three weeks, and then married him, either on the ship or once they arrived in Canada. She helped raise the younger children of his previous marriage.
They lived on their farm until his death in 1907. Philadelphia was away for a short timeand returned to the farm, living with her stepson until her death in 1930. Both William and Philadelphia are buried in the Victoria Cemetery which was located a couple of miles from their farm.
Lapeer County, Mayfield Township, where my husband's great, great, great grandfather Isaac Goodale, purchased property in the late 1830's and he and his descendants owned the land until at least the 1920's. There is an old silo on the property and we wondered if it could be a remnant from their farm. The Flint River flows just north of the property. The cemetery is three or four miles southeast of the property and we located Isaac's headstone but not his wife--Electa Allen Goodale.
Ward, who lived near Grand Rapids, on the west side of Michigan. The property in this picture is the site of the farm of Joseph and Mary Ballard. A few miles to the south is the property of the Ward family.
Using historic maps, current day maps, and google earth, we were able to find the exact location of the properties. It appears that their farms have been left untouched, although they all lived their over 150 years ago.
Family history is more fun when you can incorporate a visit to the places they lived while also having a fun family vacation. The next time you plan a trip, take a look to see if any of your ancestors lived in the area of where you are travelling. Or just a peek at the cemetery to find their graves and drive around the area is a wonderful addition to learning more about your predecessors!
