Hello everyone from Western Australia (100 miles south of Perth). I am quite a newbie to genalogy but trying to learn. My mother and father were both from Snohomish County and I am trying to trace both there roots. Both of them are now deceased as are most of my cousins with the exception of one who lives in Snohomish. We just met again last year after 43 years without contact. He is also trying to help. In addition through a BIRD-L-request I met Joni Smith who is now trying her best to assist me. She suggested I join this list. I am trying to do this by net and e-mail contacts as it is not only expensive to obtain certificates from the USA it also takes up to 6 months and I am just so keen to find out any information. Patience is not my best virtue sadly and I'm trying to work on that as I can see where genealogists need that trait. What I know to date follows; however, if the list owner feels it's too long or too detailed please feel free to cut it. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who might have any information or suggestions for me. Thank you for being such caring individuals. Re: BIRD FAMILY BIRD, Michael (Mike) - Westport?IRL>SCO en transit>CAN?Toronto>Saginaw MI>Tacoma/Everett WN m Sarah McNAMARA (no knowledge of Sarah or her family) I believe Mike was into forestry and paper mills. They lived in Monroe, Washington at the time of my grandfather's wedding in 1909). Mike & Sarah had 9 children: Jack; Joseph Vincent; Bernard Francis; Sarah (aka Sade); Margaret (Marge HERRING); Thomas; Nancy; Mary Gertrude (Pic); Dorothy (Dode)330 Avenue D, Snohomish, Washington. My grandfather was Bernard (aka 'Buns') Francis BIRD. I know little of the other 9 children except my stepmother (who is now 90) thinks the following may be valid: 1. Jack married an Ida ? and they had 3 children: Michael & Joseph & Edward. She thinks that Edward was a doctor in the navy, never married & lived in Maui, Hawaii and that Joseph had a daughter named Patti & may live in Oregon. 2. Joseph Vincent was Bernard/Ethel's best man; 3.`Margaret was called Marge and was married to ?HERRING. She had 3 children: Cherry, Nancy, Dan. 4. Thomas had a son called "Tug". 5. Dorothy (Dode) had a daughter, Joanne, who is a Carmelite nun in Berkeley, CA. 6. Sarah was called "Sade". 7. Mary Gertrude was called "Pic". 8. Nothing about Nancy 9. And, my grandfather, Bernard called "Buns" Also my Dad talked about some maiden aunties in the family by the names of Sassie & Honey Philben? who lived in Everett for years and years who may have been genealogists but I don't know how they were related nor do I have their data. All I know about my grandfather is that my grandfather & grandmother (Bernard Francis & Ethel Gertrude ANGEL BURNS), were married at the Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. H. Saindon) on June 23, 1909. Joni Smith found the marriage certificate but it says little else. There is some confusion about my grandmothers surname and I know nothing of her family except that I have in my possession a copy of their wedding invitation and the certificate they received from the above church. In the wedding invitation it says that "Mrs. William Henry ANGEL announces the marriage of her daughter, Ethel Gertrude ANGEL". Thus, we are assuming, that William Henry ANGEL was Ethel's father but then...... The marriage certificate from the church refers to my grandmother as Ethel Gertrude Angel Burns. No one in my family knows who BURNS was. Maybe my grandmother had been married before or maybe her mother - so BURNS could possibly be her real father or her husband by another marriage. The plot thickens! I have a copy of a letter my grandmother (Ethel) wrote a year before she died and she talked about a brother and later mentioned someone named 'Lyle' but I'm sure it was necssarily her brother's name. I do know that Ethel died in Santa Rosa, CA - August 7, 1952. I have a copy of the obituary from the Santa Rosa paper listing the cemetery & funeral home. It also said that she was "a nature of New Brunswick, CAN." My stepmother thinks they may have been from Saint John, New Brunswick, CAN. Her death certificate is one thing that I would like to send for using Bill as the sender if he agrees. I do not know my grandfather Bird's death although he did die later than Ethel. They lived at 4180 Redwood Hwy. So, Santa Rosa. By the way, Ethel & Buns were living in Medford, Oregon the year before she died (1951) when she wrote the letter. Buns & Ethel had 4 children and I know of all these families. The children were John Everett BIRD (my father); James; Robert & Frances (the only girl). If you want to know their families I can send it on. My father - John Everett Bird was born March 30, 1910 in Everett and died January 09, 1989 in Napa CA. He was married twice. The first to my mother: Phyllis Irene JOHNSON and we believe they married in 1936 in the Everett Catholic Church but I do not know the day. We only guess they married in 1936 because I was born Feb. 14, 1937. They only stayed together for 18 months. My father remarried Jaqueline BRENTT in 1948 in Beirut, Lebanon. They met in Saudi Arabia were both worked for the Arabian American Oil Co. My dad retired from ARAMCO and returned to the USA in about 1959? to his property at Orcas Island, San Juans. Then in about 1961? they moved to Everett/Lake Stevens for a few years before moving to Napa (where my stepmother was from). JOHNSON FAMILY: LARS JOHANSEN/JOHNSON b. Dec. 17, 1843 - Drummond?? maybe Drammen NOR d. Abt. 1920 in MT (Kalispell?) m Martha JOHNSON NOR Abt. 1860? >Minneapolis, MN. Lars/Martha had 4 boys: Arthur D.; Martin L., Karl W., Walter Joseph (my grandfather). Martha died shortly after Walter's birth Abt. 1891/2 in Minneapolis. Walter Joseph (Walt) was b. April 16, 1891 in Minneapolis MN>/Brady MT, Klamath Falls OR, Everett WN, d. Jan. 1972, Santa Rosa CA. His Social Security # was 533-09-4962. Walter m. Ida Mae(y) WILLIAMS Abt. 1914. We don't know where but we suspect Kalispell, MT. They had 2 children: Phyllis Irene JOHNSON (my mother) b. July 1, 1915 in Brady, MT and Martha Elizabeth JOHNSON born October 15, 1917? in either Brady or Libby, MT. We know little of the WILLIAMS line ecept that Ida May had a brother Robert (Bob). It is believed that Ida May had a second marriage to Fred KINNEY. They lived near North Bend/Snoqualmie, WN. My grandfather, Walter J. JOHNSON remarried Gertrude (Gertie) LANDERS MARTIN Nov. 4, 1945 in Everett. Joni Smith found their marriage certificate but again it did not give family members or further information. John J Halls Head WA Australia zoneiljj@southwest.com.au