Comments on: Jennette Catherine McDonell & Her Two Marriages!

By: bonmac

bonmac — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:34:35 +0000

Yes, someday I will do a map showing the migrations of all the lines of my family coming from the east coast of both Canada and New England and moving west in both countries and ending up in the Pacific Northwest. This includes my dad’s family and my mother’s. There are McD’s variations of the names buried here in this area and I ponder that they might be family. A lot of the people did move away from Chichester/Chapeau some went north and other headed west and south. I have Spracklin family that came here to Washington State. Mary McDonell my great grandmother’s brother Duncan’s son came to Minnesota and ended up in California with family living there today. I have a 94 year old cousin living in Carmel from that family. So I am not surprised. I am wondering if Archie’s other sibs also moved on to western Canada and the US and it is why I can’t find them. My grandfather on my mother’s side died in Steilacoom at the hospital there. I ponder that I may have cousins in Australia, HA! This is very interesting. They did move around more than we give them credit for. Next time I go to Leavenworth I will stop by the cemetery there. Leavenworth is a tourist mecca and it looks German like. My father and his siblings are the ones that came her to Seattle. My dad loved airplanes as you know from the title and I am getting close to sharing about his time in the military in the 1930′s. I have not forgotten about the stories but I have to ask permission. Bonnie

By: William Hempel

William Hempel — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:04:16 +0000

Hi Bonnie, In reading through your various notes, I couldn’t help but be surprised in some very unusual connections with all of your research. I have had a connection to Washington State as well in relationship to this family. One of Barney Martin/Flora Payne’s daughters (Georgiana Martin) married John Robert Conway in Marquette Michigan in Feb 1884. They had a son, John Robert Conway in Baraga Michigan in August 1884. Now for the twist – I have the Death Certificate for Georgiana from Washington – she died on 23rd April 1916 at Fort Steilacoom and buried in Tacoma (her last residence was Kiltitas County). Her husband John Robert Conway (sr) died 1st June 1925 in Leavenworth, Chelan Washington and is buried in Leavenworth North Road Cemetery. Their son did spend time in Alaska, never married and died at the King County Hospital on 11th Sept 1928 and was cremated according to the Death Cert. As you can imagine, I found the fact that you live in that part of the country really interesting. So Flora Payne’s (sister to Thomas Payne) daughter and grandson lived and died in your area. Thought you may be interested in this small connection too.

By: bonmac

bonmac — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:29:28 +0000

William: Wow, all the way from Sydney, Australia. Thank you so much for all this information on Thomas Payne. Yes, I do find that they spell O’Kaine or O’Kane a variety of ways. You migrated a very long from Michigan to Australia. Oh, I would love to visit Australia but I have been diverted by all these relatives and ancestors. I met a Kennedy cousin while traveling there in Ottawa and the region and he told me stories about Jennette and Thomas Payne. I will have to dig that out for you and get that to you. I have not really been given permission to share online at this time. Thank you for the compliments they are appreciated. I was very frustrated with the lack of records in the early years. I did notice that they moved around a lot more than you think. I see you mention the marriage in Bytown (Ottawa). If the William took off, it is no telling where he went. There is mention of the Yukon on some of these ancestors? If you learn anything more please stop by again and share. Bonnie

By: William Hempel

William Hempel — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:39:07 +0000

Thomas Payne was the youngest of 7 children born to Thomas Payne and Isabella Cameron (bd 1 Dec 1836 from Chichester, Pontiac Quebec 1901 census). My relationship is to another of the 7 children Flora Payne who married Barney Martin on 4 May 1851 at Basilique Notre Dame in Bytown (present day Ottawa). Thomas and Isabella (Flora’s parents) were married at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Williaimstown Glengarry Ontario on 4 April 1815 (Ancestry marriages 1800-1910). I have been in contact with a person from Glengarry and there is a church book printed there with details as well.

While I am only distantly related and don’t know all the movements of the Payne family at this point (Apr 2013), Barney and Flora moved to Marquette County Michigan and another brother of your Thomas and my Flora, Allan Payne moved to Montrose Genesee County Michigan. Through the records I have previously seen, I did know about O’Kaine or O’Kane and only one other brother William. Thanks to your tree on this site, I can see more information about O’Kaine’s children. I don’t have any information for his brother William at all.

You have done a wonderful job developing this site and it is a credit to you and your efforts. Wonderful to find people contributing to this type of research. I just happened to be looking for more information tonight about Les Iles aux Allumettes when your site popped up. I would also like to visit the place on one of my trips to that part of the world. Thank you again.

William Hempel
Sydney Australia
(former resident of Michigan)