ANCESTORS....

I'm obsessed!

I'm obsessed with finding my Ancestors! I've always been intrested in doing a family tree. We have the general line started on my mothers side. But after visiting the Ancestry.com website, and meeting a long lost cousin (who I never met before) through a posting, I found (he found) a whole bunch more! He is a geneaologist! He has spent the last 7 years tracking his/our family line. He's gone all the way back to the Late 1600's!

My daughter Jamie, (who has also become obsessed) and I, were practicallly in tears, when our new found cousin, sent a Word Doc, 22 pages long, tracing my mother's maternal side. Then he sent a 188 page Doc, tracing my Mother's paternal side!!! I felt like I had struck gold!

That was last Wednesday. I haven't been able to stop reading since. All the Births, deaths, Marriages, Baptisms.

I always knew about my "Famous" realatives. The one's who settled an area in Alabama, called Bon Secour. It was named by my 5th. Great Grandfather: "Jacques Cook" According to the information, he was a young man from Montreal Canada, who came apon the shores of Mobile Bay.

Many documents, trace his time in Bon Secour, as well as his sons and grandsons. My Great Aunt Edna lived in the house Jerome (her grandfather) had built.

Also, on her property sits a beautiful little white church, Built by Nicholas Cook, called "Our Lady of Bon Secour"(Shown in picture) Named by my Great Grandmother (Odile pictured above) that still stands today. There is so much history in this little town. There is even a family Cemetery across from the church, where many of my family members are buried, including Nicholas I & II, and there children Jonathan Cook, and Jerome Cook.

After reading My grandmothers line, I learned the name of another "Grandmother" Her name was Isabella Bertrand, Who married Syvestre Gomez. I did a search online, and I found a photo of Isabella's headstone, in St. Michael's Cemetary in Florida. (See photo) She lived to be 103 years old! as it states on the s head stone.

Also pictured above: Top left: My great grandmother Nancy Jain Lantron Cook, Top right: A young Odile Bertrand. With the image below that, of her older. Below that, is her daughter Honorine Bertrand. The young girl is Honorine's daughter, Mary... my mother!

Here is a link to more information on the beautiful , historical little town of Bon Secour, Alabama. The maps are especially interesting, as they show the land my gr. gr. gr. .... grandfather's owned.. ( see the names: Nicholas & John Cook) Aslo realated to me Are Henry, and Alexander Baudin.

I learned a lot of things about my ancestors. Some things were surprising, others shocking.

But I feel like I know them a little better now. And what kind of lives they might have had. To them I say thank you! I love you all!

Go find your family!