Introduction to the Keyes Family

I am dedicating this blog to my Grandparents Charlie and Bessie Keyes. It was from my Grandma Bessie that I inherited my passion for family history. She spent over 30 years researching her ancestors and accomplished amazing things. She passed away when I was 12 and I literally inhereted all of her research records and notes. It was the only thing of hers that Grandpa would let out of the house. I think he was glad to see it go as he was always a little jealous of the time she spent on it. (I am sure my husband can relate. The standing joke at our house when I am zoned out on my research, is that my husband will tell our kids not to worry that "Mom will love you when you're dead." It's his subtle way of reminding me that my living family needs my attention too.)

Well back to Grandpa and Grandma Keyes. When I turned 18 I started to feel guilty that I had left all of those records sitting in the shed for so long. When I looked at them I felt overwhelmed and didn't know what to do. The family group sheets were all on those long legal size papers and took a special typewriter. They had just come out with the letter size family group sheets, so my mom suggested that I retype everything onto the smaller family group sheets. I quickly discovered that I loved the names and dates and places and wanted to learn more. I spent a few years familiarizing myself with the Richardson family (which was my Grandma Bessie's family.) It took up several large notebooks, and took me several years to feel comfortable with. I later realized that there was nothing in any of this information of my Grandpa Keyes family. So I asked my mom if she had any information on them. She handed me one very thin notebook and one envelope of reseach notes and letters. At that moment I realized that this was my job. To find the Keyes family.

11 years ago my husband and I relocated and I was now able to work less, spend more time as a mom and had time for extensive family history research, so the work began.

This blog will relate stories from the lives of my Grandpa Keyes relatives. Interesting stories that I have experienced in my research, and some of my frustrations and brick walls.

My grandfather was Charles Washington Keyes he was born 14 June 1903 in Alexandria, Virginia. He was the son of Harry Wilson Keyes of Geneva, Ontario, NY and Emma Widmer of Naples, NY. He was raised in the Buffalo, NY area. Charlie married my Grandmother Betsey Elizabeth Richardson on 5 September 1928 in Coral Gables, Florida.

Other surnames also included on this sight will be Widmer, Bryan, Wilson, Sanders, Bergman, Van Riper, Leibknecht, and Seibert

My next blog will share the intersting events surrounding my grandfather's birth and try to determine what it fact and what is fiction.