Family Tree

To chart Zoo`s extensive family tree, we chose MyHeritage. This on-line programme gets full marks for ease of use. In a matter of minutes, Zoo was able to enter data for his family. Another good feature is the ability to switch easily from English to French (other languages available as well).

Zoo`s father is from Northern Quebec. He spent an afternoon with his paternal grandmother (his only living grandparent) building a tree for his grandparents, their parents, and their many sisters and brothers. Incredibly, each have 4 sisters and 4 brothers and each lost one sibling in childhood. Of these, Zoo`s paternal grandfather is the only one who has died.

We learned that baby Bernard, the brother of Zoo`s paternal grandmother, died at three months of age of menigitus and double pneumonia. He was the first born son to a family of five girls. Three more brothers followed later. Zoo thought commented that «ìl etait trop beau, il faillait qu`il soit un ange».

We also learned that little Ferdinande, sister of Zoo`s paternal grandfather, died at age 5 after grabbing an electrical line while playing in a tree. Another girl was born later and also named Ferdinande.

After this session, I managed to enter the names of the spouses of these great aunts and uncles and we were already at 92 people, but the long list of cousins and petits-cousins will have to wait. We didn`t even get to the brother and sisters of Zoo`s father and his 14 cousins and one petite-cousine. Luckily my side of the family will be a lot less daunting.