Getting Back in the Swing of Things with the DeLong Family

As I have mentioned before, I worried about repeating myself in my blog so therefore "blogged myself" down and literally stopped using this wonderful communication tool. Recently there have been people visiting my site and commenting back to me, adding to my knowledge of family members. It's pretty exciting. Perhaps from them, and their parents I can fill in the many remaining questions I have. I just sent my Sept. Prairie Roots Newsletter to the printer, so this is a great time to restart. Don't know about Prairie Roots? Just let me know. A terrifically fun publication that I put out each quarter.

One such person Historian is Doug, whose information on the DeLong family has been very useful. He gave me a long report on the Descendents of Peter DeLong (what descendencey chart isn't long?). I'm going to go through it once again and share with readers that information that I hadn't know before. At the same time, I'll add these facts/stories to my Family Tree Program.

This Peter is the son of Arie (Orra) Delong and Jannetje (Jane) Van Vleckeren. He was born in 1805. He and two of his brothers, John and Richard all resided in Whitby Twp., Ontario County in 1851. Just checked and Ottawa County is near Grand Rapids.

Peter Sr. had a son, Peter, Jr., born 1838. Doug has mentioned the story of this Peter, moving to Michigan, and as a farmer and inventor, was killed when slipping between rail cars, while demonstrating his rail car coupler. I've been told, by family, that this Peter was killed in a snowstorm in Bonilla, SD. As I just wrote Doug, I must rid myself of this last story, enough to do some serious research on the inventor story. I had made the assumption that Peter Sr. was the inventor. I'm sure I'm not correct. I've had a Gentleman working with the railroad in Whitby looking for any history on this, and he has come up empty.

I've already posted most of Doug's information on my Family Tree program. It still was a good chance to think about these DeLong Ancestors and give more clearance on the movement this family made from New York, to different areas of Canada, to Michigan, than SD, then back to Canada.