I have enjoyed so much, digging into my Ancestral Heritage. To see the people and how I am related to them and when I link a picture with a name it is such a thrill.
When I started this journey I promised I would find truth and believe the truth that I found. I have found that there is in fact no Native or Indian blood in my family line. I say this respectfully as I have great respect for Anishinaabe people. A boy named Ben and a girl named Winona both members of status I call my own children infact. The fact that there was native blood in us was a myth believed by my family and talked about for years. I have a sibling that has based his life on this myth. Alleged my fathers mother was a child of an Native person. They thought her name  was Belle Halladay when in fact her name was Isabelle Hollington and her roots were English and Ireland.

So it is that I have discovered some unpleasant things but I must share what I have found. The following is just that and it is in reference to my Great grand father James H Powers.
Below is a record of James H. Powers and Mona Mac Indoes children in an orphanage in Bingahmton area.
Mona had passed away.

Alice Lucille powers Married Jonas Widrick. 

Some time later she went and took these children out of the orphanage and they lived with her.

Below is Jim Powers. He is James H Powers first born son. As told to me when he was older he wanted to see his father but only from a distance. He had been 'left' at some point in his life. 

This is my grandmother's (Alice Lucille's) half brother and his wife Vera.

 This was the writing on the back.

My Grandmother Alice Lucille Powers Widrick and her dad James H Powers

James H Powers died in Houston Texas in 1953

This section is dedicated to  James H Powers my Great grandfather and his 3rd wife 

Mona Louise Mac Indoe Powers

These are her parents

Please note as you look at the next few pictures that Mona named a daughter Mona

The following are Mona Powers sisters

Mona Mac Indoe Powers Married James H Powers My Great grandfather in 1914 she was 25. Mona was born in 1889 and died in 1928 at age 39 she was married for 14 years.

 Joseph and Anna Widrick and their daughter Janet. My grandparents and aunt

 My Aunt Florence she married a Lyndaker

 My Aunt Florence and Mary Boshart

 My Aunt Janet and Uncle Josey

 Joseph and Anna

Lorna, Josie, Florence (baby) 

 Aunt Janet. Married Gilbert Zehr

 Aunt Janet

 Anna with Lorna, Janet, and Josie

 Norbert, Sherwood, Lorna, Janet (love the dog)

 Jonas and Lucille Widrick and their children. My dad on the far right

Robert, Mona, Jenette, Alice, Walter

 My uncle Norbert and Walter Widrick at Chase lake

 A very young Walter Widrick at Chase Lake camp.

 Norbert and Janet at Croghan Farm

 Walter with Mona's children

Jonas and Lucille with their grandchildren. (not my siblings)

Robert M Powers was the son of James H Powers and Mona L McIndoe. He began living with his sister Alice Lucille 'Powers' Widrick when he was 13. He had been living in an orphanage. He was the blood son of James H. In reference to earlier beliefs that Alice was not actually the child of James H. and that Isabelle Holligton his first wife had a child from a native person and James H raised it as his own is quite unbelieveable. Robert M is the half brother of my Dads mother.

Anna my grandmother and her siblings Dorothy, Naiomi, Ned,  Ann, Lee 

 My mom 3 days old

 Grampa Jo with my mom and Sherwood

 John Deere farm days at my mom and dads farm in Croghan. My grampa was a John Deere dealer! 

What did yours do?

 My Mom at my grampa's sugar bush

 My great aunt Naoimi her husband Lloyd Boshart and their children Martha, Mary and Ruthann

 The family of Walter and Lorna Widrick

 The Walter and Lorna Widrick farm on rt 12

 My grampa's work truck.

The house my mom built shortly after the divorce. She and her 5 children left Croghan and moved to Watertown on rt 11. She ran a coffee chop on the left side of the house.

 This is Joseph N Widrick and Catherine Yousey

My Grandfather Joseph mother and father on my mother Lorna's side

 My great aunt Naiomi and uncle Lloyd

I loved them so much. I knew it was a family gathering when they were there.

 The Croghan farm that my mom grew up on

4 Generations. Catherine, Joseph, Lorna, Lynn 

My Grandfather Joseph his wife Anna I believe his mom and dad and I am not sure which children are there.

 My Uncle Norbert on his motorcycle

 Jonas and Lucille Widrick

 Joseph and Anna Widrick

 Joseph, Anna, Sherwood, Norbert, Lorna, Janet, Josey, Florence Widrick

 My Grampa Joseph Widrick

My Grampa Joseph Widrick.

These are my two favorite pictures of him.