Kelly/Verge Genealogy

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Kelly/Verge Genealogy


What's News:
New Cemetery Page

I've recently organized my data and photos for Holy Trinity Anglican Church Cemetery in Blackville, New Brunswick. Take a look!
Famous Connection!

Not that this is why I do this, but I can apparently add somebody famous to the family tree! It's a bit of a stretch, and unconfirmed, but see how Bing Crosby and his granddaughter Denise (aka Tasha Yar, for Star Trek fans), connect to me, on my "Name-dropper's" page...
Just Added!

Some extractions from Miramichi-area church records (See New Brunswick page for details) and a page for unrelated American surname data
NEWSFLASH!!!

Joseph Verge, Sr. was a BIGAMIST!!! ... Or maybe not ... ?

Read on...
Family Update:

On September 8, 2006, my grandmother, Mildred Susan (Underhill) (Kelly) Hogan passed away. I have posted her obituary here. She is greatly missed by all who knew her.

She was not only my much-loved "Nanny" but also a living repository of people, places and events on the Miramichi. At 98, her memory was as sharp as ever, and even to the last she was always ready to talk about old times.

In 2004, Nan was interviewed by Bill Eagan, author of Woven in Time: An Oral History of the Milltown (St. Croix) Cotton Mill; the interview was included in the second edition of this fascinating portrait of mill life in the early 20th century. I have excerpted Nan's interview here, and also include publishing information for anyone who would like to read more - it's excellent! I have also included some of my thoughts on the narrative, and other stories that Nan told me.

My Roots in Genealogy

When I was two years old, my family moved away from the Miramichi in New Brunswick. This was where my mother, and four generations of her family, had lived since immigrating to Canada, mostly from Ireland. In later years, during visits to my family in the area, I realized that I missed not having the roots that my family in New Brunswick had, since most of their friends and family still lived on the Miramichi. Getting interested in genealogy was the logical way to get around this. Since I started looking into the past, I have a greater understanding of who my ancestors were, and how I connect with my family, through culture and traditions, even though I live half a continent away.

In my grand-uncle John Doty's book Pioneer Families of Colonial America, he dedicates the chapter on the Canadian families to "those hardy, adventurous, and pious Irish pioneers who braved the hardships of the frontiers of the colony of New Brunswick and proceeded to develop these areas toward the thriving communities they are today." I feel this is applicable to all our ancestors, and is an ideal we can still strive for.

I hope this compilation of facts can be of interest and use to you. I feel very strongly that many people today have lost their sense of connection with others. As a result, they often have little empathy with, or understanding of, the people in their communities, and especially with the different cultures with which they come into contact. It is my hope that as more people explore their origins, and see the similarities that exist between cultures, they will come to understand that we really are a part of a world community. Only knowledge and understanding can help us face and solve the problems that trouble the world today.

Family Data and Other Information

So what exactly do I have on this site? Mostly data collected from various sources, but I have started to do some original research of my own. Whichever the case, I always try to list sources, so others can double check details pertinent to their own research. At the top left of every page, you will find a menu, including, among other things, five generations of my pedigree chart, a collection of useful maps, as well as a family photo album stretching back almost a century.

Oh Yeah...

By the way, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Natalie Verge, and for most of my life, I've lived far from Canada's Maritimes, where my roots are. It's been about a year since I updated here; in that time I've gotten pretty much settled here in Edmonton... but I swear it's the furthest west I'll ever live. I'd love to hear from anyone with anything to add to the information I've posted here. I've already heard from quite a few people, from all over the world, who have some connection to the people listed here.

So what are my goals for the next while, genealogy-wise? Here's a bullet list. Incidentally, I love lists. It's the only way to get stuff done :) I'll even start it off with a trick from my Mom; you don't want your list to appear overwhelming, so it's always good to start with something you can scratch off immediately!

  • Make list
  • I'd like to focus on making connections here in Edmonton. I don't have too many family ties that wound up here, but there are some, and I am woefully uninformed of what resources I might find here. I guess a membership with the Alberta Genealogical Society is in order. Of course, no meetings over the summer, but if I pencil it into my calendar now, I should be able to organize myself to go in September!
  • I am feeling a very urgent need to go through my data and take a look, extremely critically, at whether all the details can be supported. I've always been pretty good about sourcing my information, but in the beginning, some of my sources were second- and third-hand. And while the information appears to fit with the larger scheme of things, that doesn't mean that errors can't have crept in. Here's a topic for another day: sometimes historical researchers, just like scientists, are so eager to have a theory proven, that they may sometimes lead the data to a conclusion, rather than the other way around. I don't want to be guilty of that.
  • Finally, this website: I've got lots of other bits and pieces to be added, things to change, and stuff I want to try to satisfy the computer geek side of me, as well as the history nerd.

That's kind of it in a nutshell. I should probably break these points down a little more to get a handle on things, but Rome wasn't built in a day. I've been away from any real research for a while now, so getting re-connected with people is probably paramount. I look forward to making new connections and re-establishing the old ones! :)


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Site updated July 3, 2010.
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