Off to Europe... again!

 After our 5-week stint in France during May-June 2024, we weren't sure that we would do another long trip soon, however the opportunity arose and OFF WE GO!  We will again be away from home for 5-weeks, primarily in Germany but with brief visits to Switzerland and France and longer times in the Netherlands and Belgium.

We are starting with three days in San Antonio where I am representing Oregon at the GSMD annual conference (General Society of Mayflower Descendants).  Then on September 7 we will fly to Munich where the vacation begins.  We have several tours scheduled there, followed by a short train ride to Nuremberg for the next leg of our journey.   

As a genealogist, I love all things related to history, so I will be focused on the towns and cities, old buildings, churches and museums, and of course, the people of the various locations.  Plus FOOD!  We’ll be trying out lots of local cuisine, as well. 

My family genealogy research shows that I have ancestry in many of the areas we will visit, primarily thru my maternal family.  I’m reviewing my tree and studying up on those ancestors before we leave.  

Stay tuned for occasional reports on what we find along the way, and have a wonderful Labor Day, dear readers!

52nd anniversary in France

Semmens Family Reunion in Montana

On the weekend of August 1-3, 2025, a wonderful event was held in Hamilton, Montana, for descendants of John Thomas Semmens and Elizabeth Ann Uren Semmens.  Both were born in England in the 1840s.  John appears to have died in England, however, Elizabeth died in Hamilton on May 22, 1907.  The obituary below is from The Western News, Stevensville, MT, May 29, 1907.

John and Elizabeth had seven children, all of whom were born in England.  Two of the children came to the US, immigrating in the 1890s, and both came to live in Montana.  

• Child #1:  Winifred Semmens (1863-1935) married Herbert Vial (1861-1931) in 1895 in Silver Bow, MT.  They had one daughter, Elizabeth Jane Vial, and one son, Herbert DeWitt Vial.

• Child #3:  Edmund John Semmens (1868-1931) married Frances Pender (1866-1923) prior to leaving England.  They had seven children: Ethel, Winifred, Edmund Jr, William, Percy, Elizabeth, and Effie.  Ethel Mary Grace was born in England and came with her mother the year after Edmund.  The remaining six children were born in Montana.

At the 2025 reunion, approximately 30 people attended.  In this case, all were descendants of Edmund and Francie, plus spouses and children.  It was a fun and lively group!  We had two days of conversation, picture sharing, updates on what family members had been doing, etc.  AND great food on both days!

This was particularly interesting for me, as these people are members of my husband's birth mother's family.  MSH (my sweet hubby) did not grow up knowing ANY of these people, although we did meet a few of them in 2019 when we traveled to Anaconda and Hamilton for a very small reunion.  This time there were more "cousins" in attendance.  The picture to the right include three first cousins he now knows.  Wonderful!

If you have followed my travels thru genealogy and learning how to use DNA testing to find people, you will understand how excited I was to meet these people.  Not only does MSH have a blood connection to them, our children and grandchildren do, as well.

If you want to understand "the beginning of the story" please check out my blog posts from the Fall of 2019. 

Have a wonderful week, dear readers!