O/T winter genealogy searching- need help from Manitoba

I have way too much time to spend on small things this winter, so I took the time working on finding out more about my family. I have not had too many surprises, but one thats really intrigued me is that my Great Great Grandfather had a brother that ended up in Canada and he passed away in 1901 in Grandview, Manitoba. Basically nothing has been ever passed down through the generations in regards to him or his family- I have spend enough time trying to locate any information in regards to him on the internet with next to no results- wondering if anyone in western Manitoba is on here that can lead me in a good direction for furthering my research? Thanks to any/all replies- email is open to send a personal message!

Good luck with your search.

That's one area where the internet is truly amazing - I was able to fill a lot of holes in our family tree.

In fact, I found one direct link from the 1500's - earliest I could get before was mid 1600's.

Not only that, I tracked down the very cathedral in a little village in france where he was baptized.

And I even found pictures.

And even more amazingly, there was a picture of the ancient baptismal font in the cathedral.

That's one of those moments where it hits you that the power of the internet really - REALLY is incredible.

That blew my mind - on one evening, from my home office I can trace my roots back over 500 years, then call up a picture of where one of them was baptized 500 years ago.

I hope you have equally good luck.

Was he Français, Anglo, Métis or what? What was his occupation? Was he a member of any church that you know of? Makes a huge difference in how to research in Canada. Did he use the correct surname when he lived there? I ask because many people who entered Canada ca 1700s-1800s used new, dual, or alternate "dit" names.

His last name is the same as mine, Meyer- when they first came from Germany it was spelt Meier. In the 1895 US census, he still shows up on the list here in SE Minnesota- having trouble figuring what took him north in the last 6 years of his life. I believe a fair amount of his children moved up there too, so there very well can be relation still in the area. Any record in the US census lists him as a farmer. He would have been a German Lutheran as well. Hope some of this helps...

Made me think of this song, hope you don't mind.


"I'm My Own Grandpa"

Now, many many years ago
When I was twenty three
I was married to a widow
Who was pretty as could be

This widow had a grown-up daughter
Had hair of red
My father fell in love with her
And soon the two were wed

This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life
My daughter was my mother
'Cause she was my father's wife

To complicate the matters
Even though it brought me joy
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy

My little baby then became
A brother-in-law to dad
And so became my uncle
Though it made me very sad

For if he was my uncle
That also made him the brother
Of the widow's grown-up daughter
Who, of course, was my step-mother

I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
I'm my own grandpa

My father's wife then had a son
That kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild
For he was my daughter's son

My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue
Because, she is my wife
She's my grandmother too

I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
I'm my own grandpa

Now, if my wife is my grandmother
Then, I am her grandchild
And every time I think of it
It nearly drives me wild

For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw
As the husband of my grandmother
I am my own grandpa

I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
I'm my own grandpa

I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
I'm my own grandpa

This website has a large collection of local history books that are searchable:

http://www.ourroots.ca/e/index.aspx

I looked for Grandview but didn't come up with a book. You can type his name in the Search box, it'll bring up all the books with that name. Scroll down to see if there's a book for the area in Manitoba and click on it. When the new page opens up it'll have page numbers where the name appears. If you have his first name type both into the search to narrow it down.

Another source is the Canadian census. They were done every 10 years on the 1's so you might find something. It's searchable but takes a bit of time to learn. The Canadian census records are available free on line, so you shouldn't need to go through a pay site like ancestry.com.

Also google for geneaology groups or societies in Manitoba, they might be able to lead you to something. I've done quite a bit of family history stuff but not in Manitoba so I'm not as familiar with what they have compared to the other three western provinces. Good luck.

i'll grab my phone book.... grand view is about 25 miles north of me, but an hour and a bits drive due to Riding Mountain National Park being in the way...

Hi There is a tractor wrecker I deal with in Grandview. he has only been up there about 30 years though. I wonder if he might know of anybody that might have access to old area history records round there,I think Gilbert plains or Grandview has a small museum. He is closed for the winter but I might be able to get hold of him if he's home and ask.
Just looked in an old phone book for that area there are 2 Meyers listed in that from 2008.
one is a B initial the other is L.
Ya never know might be worth a call to them on the off chance. Can message you if want the numbers or might be able to find newer listings to see if they are still there.
Regards Robert

Hi, you could try this site:
http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php

I did search on surname Meyer and found:
Last Name: MEYER Given Names: JOHN, MALE
Date of Death: 14/09/1901 Age At Death: 66

Hope this helps
JimB

hey Robert, where are you located?? must be sort of local... I m close to Russell...

If you have any Morman's around they seam to have the ability to go way back on family research. For some reason a couple did a search on Dad's side, and went back a lot of years, and got more information than any family member had done. They haven't been back since. Stan

Jim- This is him- This is about the only site I've had any luck with finding ANYTHING on him- saw the same as your link has. I do appreciate you posting this though!

Sounds as bad when i was dating a girl whos last name was granville my grandmother was granfield ran into a book that said granville was the old version of granfield an to make it worse they were from ireland but orignaly french kinda put a damper on that romance.

Tom, I think you just described the Hutterite Colonies around here. (Did I just say that out loud?)

Hi Oj
I'm about 2.5 hours or so south of Grandview at a place on number 10 highway called Minto. Right between Brandon and Boissevain. if your on here you must know David and Curtis Goods, and my favorite parts yard Guy Bob east of there on 5.
Regards Robert

There are genetic services such as 23andme and a couple of others .
While only a very small % of the population is in the data base. We have had a few hits with 4th cousins but it takes some figuring the common ancestors .
Most links go back to families leaving the British Isles starting approx 1841 and peaking from 1880 to 1934. The common ancestors are mostly in that 1841-1934 era.

i know David and Curtis quite well... they about 40 minutes away, i farm close to RMNP, on the south side of it. I must have past close to you the other week, took hwy 10 down to the US border. Maybe we should have a YT Maggers meeting for Manitoba like Krusser and the Iowa guys...

Hi Oj
was kinda wondering how many guys are around here in Manitoba. Yes you past right buy here if you saw the brand new coop tank farm 20kms north of Boissevain. Can see our place from the highway there if you know were to look.
we got enough trouble makers in town now with out us guys having a convention in the coffee shop lol.
If your down this way again drop me a message and call in. I got to go to grandveiw in the spring, so will be that way also, Don"t deal with Goods so much now. You probably know of Billy Cowan from the U.K thats up there too then. Guess we are hogging this thread a bit email should be open drop me a message and I'll reply there if you want.

Regards Robert

I love genealogy! If you want to give me the man"s full name, his wife"s name, birth dates death dates, etc. I"ll take a look and see if I can find anything.

Gene Kirkpatrick