Wednesday, February 3

Blogger reader = Google = Ottawa Citizen = genealogical happy dance!!

While browsing my blogger reading list (I'm not a fan of the Google Reader), I happened to come across the most recent entry (February 2nd) from the "Librarians Helping Canadian Genealogists Climb Family Trees" blog: "Google makes Historical Ottawa Citizen available online"  Wow!

The short entry barely gives anything away, merely excerpting a small clip from a (current) Ottawa Citizen article by Kelly Egan and stating digitalized copies begin (roughly) in 1890.

Deciding to give it a go (though my ancestors lived throughout the western reaches of the Ottawa valley, they rarely strayed (in official records, anyway) towards the city itself), I clicked on the Google link.  Typing in a few keywords ("barber" and "pakenham") and entering "Ottawa Citizen" in the source box, I hit the enter key.  Little did I expect one of the first entries to jump right off the page...

From the Ottawa Citizen, May 2, 1955, p. 4:

Michael Barber
KINBURN (Special) - Funeral service for Michael James Barber, a resident of Kinburn all his life, was held in St. John's Anglican Church, Antrim, Sunday afternoon.  Mr. Barber died at his home Friday after an illness of several weeks.  He was 82.  Rev. P. Caiger Watson conducted the service.  Burial was in St. Mark's Anglican Cemetery.  Mr. Barber leaves his wife, the former Linda Grainger; three daughters, Mrs. Beattie Timmins, of Pakenham, Mrs. Amy Cameron of Arnprior, and Miss. Pearl Barber of Ottawa; and a son, Norman, at home.

http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=uc0wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-dwFAAAAIBAJ&dq=barber%20pakenham&pg=4291%2C25754

(click image to enlarge)

(Did I do my genealogy happy dance?  You bet your bottom I did - and startled the dog and the cat in the process! ;-)

This is my great-grandfather!!! 

This (the Ottawa Citizen), is a resource I wouldn't have thought to check.  Arnprior (where my grandmother lived and is closer than Ottawa), had it's own newspaper (Arnprior Chronicle) which I have earmarked for further study (I've previously went over a few surviving issues that the Archives of Ontario had).  I can't wait to explore further...

4 comments:

Elise said...

Congrats, Jenn! I'm originally for Cornwall, Ontario and used to deliver the Ottawa Citizen. It definitely does a great job at covering the region, doesn't it.

I'm so pleased my blog entry lead to such a find!

Jenn said...

Thanks for the link - I've been exploring it ever since, and I find the few 1860 editions that are available especially neat!

Unknown said...

WOW Jenn!!...(Its Barry Cavanagh again)... I am reading with interest all your blog things!!... The obit of Micheal James Barber states he was the father of Mrs Beattie Timmins... (Her name was Ena)... Well Mr Beattie Timmins was my great Uncle! (through my mothers lineage) I'm doing my genealogical Happy Dance now!

Keep up the interesting finds!!

Barry!

Jenn said...

Hi cousin! ;)

Michael was my great-grandfather through his daughter Amy. I couldn't believe it when I found the obit and the death notice for Michael.

Have you been working on genealogy long? Do you blog?

Talk to you later (and sorry for the belated reply)!
Jenn