Going through DeLong Files

It's sometimes helpful to go through old files and to just get in touch with writers that haven't been reached for a while. I'm going through the DeLong files right now, which compromises three full loose-leaf notebooks.

I've always been intrigued by our Canadian DeLong family. I have an E-Mail from 2004 from "D.M.". I know that the "D" stands for Doreen, and I know that Doreen is from the DeLong family. I hope to get her home address and send the next Prairie Roots newsletter to her.

Doreen writes..."Andrew is buried beside his wife Edna (on the North side of her) in the North Battleford Municipal Cemetery. There is no marker for him. There is a gravestone for Edna. The lettering is very faded." Andrew is the brother of ggrandmother, Catherine Elizabeth (Libby) DeLong Daugherty, wife of George Daugherty. Andrew and his wife, Edna Draper returned to Canada from S.D. Andrew is the grandfather of Loren DeLong, whom I keep in touch and have mentioned in this blogsite.

Continued..."Any dates re: Peter, Jr. (Libby's father) or others are in the bible record and in my grandfather's recollections as told to my mom. These items and a picture of Susan Powell DeLong (Catherine's mother), were found in my mother's things after she passed away in 1996 (Catherine Pratt). Clarence DeLong's wife, Betty DeLong (Charbonneau) has also passed away, but I have no birth and death dates regarding her with me." Betty DeLong has been mentioned by the family of Clarence McGirr & Marilyn McNeil Hershly. Clarence's mother, Mabel Daugherty McGirr, visited this family at one time in Canada. Getting back to Loren, Clarence and Betty were his mother and father.

"North Battleford is on one of the main routes to Alaska. If you are going through, be sure to let us know." D.M.

Andrew was born in Whitby, Ontario in 1871. In 1880 he left for Michigan and South Dakota. Andrew then went to Oregon and returned to S.D. He also went to Virginia and after spending a few months there, returned to Canada. There, he and Edna married (1905), in NOrth Battleford, Sask. Evidently Edna and Andrew met each other when Andrew helped Edna's family across a bolder during a severe rain storm. Edna has roots in Phillips, WI, northeast of where I live. They had three children: Clarence, Carl William, and George Henry.

There are several instances of people in this family moving to the US and then back to Canada. It's incredible that these journeys were so numerous. We are talking about long, long distances.