| Who am I? As I became more mature (older) that question often came to mind. Oh, sure I knew who my parents and grandparents were, but who were the shadows (ancestors) beyond them and where had they come from? As I set out to map out where our ancestors came from and how the different branches of the family linked up, I realized a lot of the branches have more than just a marriage in common. We are extremely lucky that a paper trail has been left on some of our forefathers. This work is dedicated to my parents, John and Alice Houchins Norfolk, my husband Russell W. Niles and my daughter Joanne (Shelli) Michelle DeLauney. Without their interest, assistance, and patience I would never have gotten as far as I have, both in my life and in my search for the family's history. Alice and John provided the inspiration and most of the older pictures. They came into Alice's possession from her mother, Jessie Boyd Mobley and her uncle, Lovie Lee Houchins. Other pictures were provided by relatives I have contacted over the internet. My parents have spent endless hours talking to me, taking me to see relatives so that I could talk to them, and haunting cemeteries with me throughout the Missouri and Illinois area. Shelli has stood on many wind swept hilltops in the middle of now where, helping me look for the final resting place of loved ones lost. Our ancestors came from a wide social and economic background. The one thing that they all shared in common was a strong sense of adventure and a dream of a better life for their descendants. We owe our ancestors who crossed the big waters much for their bravery and courage in leaving the lives that they knew and going to a land, in many cases, “where no white man had been”. They were pioneers that came early to the Americas, both the United States and Canada, from England, Scotland, Ireland and France. They braved hardships that we today cannot imagine. The ship passage could not have been easy for them. Documentation shows that crossing conditions were poor at best. The mortality rate during the crossing touched everyone. It is easily identified in our family. Some of the hardships started in their home countries before they ever embarked for the New World. Some of our ancestors came over as indentured servants, some had to be smuggled out of their homeland and embark on their voyage from ports of other countries. Some were 4th or 5th sons who saw no future in staying in the country of their birth. Most were complete families who migrated to the new world. As far as I can ascertain, those that were married brought their families with them. Only in rare cases were immediate families left behind. Conditions in Europe were stressful during the early years of colonization in the Americas. Starvation, religious persecution, and serfdom were a few of the key factors that helped them to decide to seek out a” better place in the new world”. Once they arrived, it was not a case of paying the rent and moving in. When you look at the dates and places that most of our ancestors arrived, the Americas (1600s-1700s) were still a wilderness except along the seaboard. Most had to carve their place out in the new world. Some went into communities that were already established but still had to make their place. As the westward expansion in the United States advanced, so did our family. Once again, the dates show us that they for the most part were not willing to let the country be tamed before they moved west. They were in the front leading the way. At the same time we owe part of our heritage to the American Indians who lived in the Americas long before the white man came. They were a strong brave people who were finally overcome by sheer numbers. Because of the lack of written records for the American Indians it is impossible to trace our bloodlines back in time. It is enough to know that we are true “Americans” which include both the timeless Indians of |
The Alice Louise Norfolk Niles family home page
Updated January 11, 2004 |
|
Alice Louise Niles 120 Blancas Drive Copperas Cove, Texas 76522 United States alice-niles@hot.rr.com |
|
Edit Your Page |
|
Family Tree Maker Reports and Trees |
|
The content shown on this page has been submitted by a Genealogy.com customer, and is not subject to verification by Genealogy.com. Neither Genealogy.com nor its affiliates are responsible for the accuracy of any information contained on this page. The opinions expressed on this page are the author's alone and not the opinions of Genealogy.com.
|
|||||||||||
| © 2009 Ancestry.com |