Higgins - Mathis, Wire-Southwick, Runolfsson-Thorsteinson

It is the stories, reminiscences, and details of daily life that really bind a family. Names, dates and statistics give us only the barest outline. Comparing my life to my ancestors, I am most interested in questions like "how old was she when her first child was born? what level of education did she gain? how did she survive the challenges and sorrows that she lived through? how old was she when she died?"

My mother's family settled in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1910, after emigrating from Iowa, USA. Her grandfather came from Ireland, but likely spent some time in England before arriving in the USA. Her grandmother was likely of German/Dutch ancestry; I've not yet traced her birth date or place.

My father's family settled in Saskatchewan, Canada, in about 1912, from Manitoba. His mother and older sister emigrated from Iceland in 1903. My grandmother married (for perhaps the 3rd time?), was widowed in her late '30's with 5 children to support, and lived to be 92!

I am particularly interested in tracing the women in my ancestry, those interesting and unique individuals who are often listed in the census as "housewife", occasionally as "farmer", and frequently as "no occupation". This despite bearing and raising from 5 to 9 children, working outdoors, helping build the family home and barn, sewing and mending, planting and tending a garden, canning, drying and pickling, and providing 3 meals a day for her family, and any neighbours or farm workers who happened to be around - as well as tending the sick, acting as midwifes, and sometimes struggling to survive after being widowed.

Anyone with information, questions, or perspectives on women's role in family-building is welcome to contact me to share facts, and more importantly, family stories.

My Family History

• Surname List


• Index of Individuals


• InterneTree


• Sources