September 7, 2006
There is a beautiful sunrise this morning in this part of Massachusetts. When I see such a beautiful sun on the horizon I often think of our Acadian Ancestors who lived at Grand-Pre on the Bay of Fundy. If you have never been to the land of our Ancestors, it is truly a "must do" trip to put on your list of vacations or research trips.
A visit to Evangeline Beach in that area gave me chills - As I looked out over the Bay of Fundy that evening [called by the French "Baie Francoise"], I could not help but wonder how often our Ancestors had stood in this exact same place appreciating nature at its best as they cultivated or harvested in these places along the Bay where they had reclaimed the marsh lands and enjoyed very fruitful harvests. I'm sure they were thanking God for all of their blessings.
So yes, this morning reminds me of some of my trips to the land of our Ancestors and those trips have all been a blessing to me as I have met cousins I'd known only online and formed relationships that will last forever. Since my first trip to the Maritimes, I feel impelled every year since to return and I have done so.
It is a marvelous thing to walk where our Ancestors were born, married and lived. There is nothing like it! Last year I had the pleasure of being accompanied by our daughter Sarah. She truly enjoyed it all and I've no doubt it was memorable for her.
Tomorrow I will share my experience the first time I visited Grand-Pre.
My Ancestors Andre LeBlanc and Marie Dugas married here abt 1683. Some of their children were born there as well as at Port-Royal. Not surprising since they most likely were born there and their parents still lived in the Port-Royal area. The two of them were buried at Grand-Pre. Andre and Marie Dugas had ten children. Their son Claude(-Andre) is my Ancestor. He married Madeleine Boudreau. She too died and was buried at Grand-Pre. Claude-Andre would later be deported to St-Nicolas-de-Boulogne-sur-Mer where he died in 1765.
So until tomorrow, I look forward to hearing from some of you. How about sharing your experiences if you have visited the land of our Ancestors?
Wherever you are enjoy the day!
Lucie
By the way, I do want to mention that you might be interested in visiting Aline Cormier's new Acadian Roots site. She now has her own domain and is on a great server! The url: Acadian Roots
2 comments:
Hi Lucie,
No sunrise here, just fog that should burn off soon. Have to tell you about the new sculptures at Grand-Pré. They are called "Deportation" and consist of three statues; one is a young boy, another a young girl and the other is the mother with a babe in arms and the father. The best part is that they all have their arms outstretched (except for mother who is holding the baby) and folks have been going to the sculptures and joining hands making a chain. It's a sight to behold. I don't think that the sculpter had that in mind but it is happening and is serving as a wonderful bridge between the past and the present. Ronnie-Gilles gave the keynote speech at the unveiling this past Sunday. It was a wonderful day at Grand-Pré.
Thank you for this information Roger. One more reason to visit Grand-Pre once again though I need no other reason than to know that my ancestors lived here. I cannot wait to see the sculpture.
See you there!
Lucie
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