5/8/19 With 2nd cousin Caroline Wright Kuhl

Caroline Wright Kuhl and I in Lakewood, Ohio, May 7, 2019.  Both 73 years old.

I arrived at Carolyn's place on Tuesday, May 7, after leaving cousin Gillian in Ann Arbor that morning. We went to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and walked in the park by Lake Erie.

Caroline's grandmother, Elizabeth, is on the left. My grandmother, Anna is in the back. Mary is on the right.

Caroline's grandmother, Elizabeth. 

5/6/19 With Cousin Gillian

Cousin Gillian, her husband Paul and I on May 4, 2019.

It's great to be here in Ann Arbor, MI with my cousin Gillian and her husband, Alan. We're having a great time talking about family and seeing the Detroit Art Institute. Their home is just lovely, and within walking distance of Gillian's work at the University of Michigan.

Gillian's Abyssinian cat.  She has three.

5/4/19 Seeing more of Michigan

I am loving Michigan. Trees, raging rivers, fields of vineyards and fruit trees, historic places, and the clear, green water of Lake Michigan.

Going across the Mackinac Bridge in the fog. 

The Grand Travese Commons in Traverse City, Michigan.

From the tower of the Old Mission Lighthouse in Traverse City, MI.

A friend Anna, and i in the Upper Peninsula.

5/1/19 Upper Peninsula Michigan

Brian, Anna and I at Tahquamenon Falls. 

Since my last post on 4/28, I drove back down through the town of Green Bay, up the western edge of the bay of Green Bay and the northern coast of Lake Michigan. Happily, a woman I had hosted at my Airbnb, has a vacation home in Newberry, Michigan. I ended up here yesterday, and took in one of the best attractions in the Upper Peninsula, Tahquamenon Falls - at it's peak. 

I'm taking a day of respite - due to cold and sleet - and catching up on the blog. It's good to be just resting today, the first in the second month of this journey.

Anna and I, April 30 in Newberry, Michigan.

Woodman = Weston Descendants

The 28 people in this list (25 living) are all descendants of Sheila Webster's paternal grandmother, Anna Cutler Woodman Webster, and of Anna's siblings - Cyrus, Elizabeth and Mary Weston Woodman. (The names in the third column) Included on this spreadsheet are my 1st cousin once removed, Vanessa Harnik (historian extraordinaire, and her brother Paul)

Webster = Briggs Descendants

The eighteen people (15 living) who are on this list are descendants of my paternal grandfather, David Locke Webster II, and his brother, Harrison Briggs Webster. (The names in bold, in the third column)

4/28/19 More of Beautiful Wisconsin

This blog, and this trip, is all about the paternal side of my family; but my mother's father, Benjamin Bjornson, and his three sisters were all born here in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. I was close when we were in Madison. Another trip. 

My host, Betty, took me down to see the capital and the historic museum in Madison, then to the Wisconsin Dells, where we took a Duck ride. I stayed three nights with Betty in her cabin at the end of the road in the woods near Friendship, Wisconsin. Lovely. 

Saturday, I headed north to the thumb of Wisconsin, past Green Bay, jutting into Lake Michigan. I spent a day up there in Door County, and posted so many pictures on Facebook. A beautiful area, which would be far more evident in the summertime. 

The State Capital in Madison, W!

Riding the Duck in Wisconsin Dells.

Betty White and I in the Dells.

Door County, the thumb of Wisconsin. Beautiful.

The Ice Age Trail can take you clear across Wisconsin from Potawatomi State Park.

Cave Point County Park, on Lake Michigan. Amazingly clear water.

A typical barn, with Scandinavian quilt square - Door County, WI.

4/24/19 Getting to know Wisconsin

I arrived here in Friendship, Wisconsin on Tuesday afternoon, and am staying with the mother of a friend from Sitka. It's so nice to have someone to show you the sights. She lives out in the country, with deer and turkeys and other wildlife all around. Very peaceful.  

I'm fascinated with the miles of tidy Red Pine trees between the fields of corn and soybeans that are just starting to green up. The Pines were planted by the paper mills, that all went out of business several years ago. Now there are homes scattered among these lovely rows of trees. Here are just a few pictures. 

My new friend Betty and I.

Miles and miles of these neat rows of Red Pine trees.

Fields of corn or soybeans.

The sun was setting over Castle Rock Lake as we enjoyed our supper tonight.

4/21/19 Leaving Minnesota

4/21/19

I have been in Minnesota, at the home of cousin Eric's friends Dave and Karen, for a week now. Since cousin Gillian will not be home in Ann Arbor Michigan until May 4, I have time to see the sights in a leisurely fashion. On Monday, I'm headed down along the St. Croix River, on the eastern Minnesota state line, and then head into Wisconsin. 

Here are just a few photos from the last few days here.

Fort Snelling, near Minneapolis

The state capital building in St. Paul, MN.

The Quadriga atop the state capital building. 

Inside St. Paul's Cathedral in St. Paul, MN.

At Palisade Head on Lake Superior

4/17/19 Resting awhile in Minnesota

Dave and Karen Krepsis, my hosts in Minnesota, friends of cousin Eric Webster

I made it to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon, April 14. Cousin Eric Webster, in Great Falls, Montana, said that he had these nice friends in Minnesota, who would be glad to host me for a night or two. Now, I find myself staying for several days as they take me to see the sights in the state in which they both were born and raised. I've seen rivers and waterfalls, small town museums, outdoor garden sculptures, downtown Minneapolis, and great food.

We'll be going into St. Paul to see the capital building and the St. Paul Cathedral. Then we'll be driving up to see Duluth and Lake Superior. They are wonderful hosts, and are helping me to plan and prepare for the rest of my journey.

Cousin Gillian Feeley-Harnik is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She will be home on May 4, so I have time yet to see the sites here in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

4/15/19 Traversing North Dakota

Giant metal sculptures along a side road off of Highway 94.

A working DC-3 at the Fargo Aviation Museum

I spent about three days driving across North Dakota. There's much more to see than I had imagined. I spent nights in Dickinson, Bismarck (the capital) and Fargo. 

Assumption Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that is still active after 126 years.

State Capital building in Bismarck, ND, built in 1933.

One of the painted buffalo in Fargo, ND.

4/11/19 Crossing Montana

It was hard to leave the cousins, Eric and Terry Webster, today, after so many years of not seeing each other. I've got a long ways to go before I see the next cousin.

Even with a late start, I made it most of the way across Montana today, stopping in Glendive for the night. Miles and miles of rolling farm land and ranch land, with just a little bit of forest in the hills.

It's fun traveling with Alaska plates. The guy in the little gas station/post office said he'd been to Alaska many times, including Sitka. Dinosaur museum is on the agenda for tomorrow morning.

Lots of wide open prairie in Montana, with beautiful mountains all around.

My route through Montana: Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, and then east through lots of small towns, stopping for the night in Glendive.

4/9/19 Cousins Eric and Terry Webster

I have made it to Great Falls Montana, and am spending some time with my cousins Eric Johnson and Terrance Anthony Webster, and my aunt Persis Johnson Webster. We're having a good time seeing all the falls, visiting interesting geological sights, and museums.

I want to do a post that will highlight each of us, so this post will be more general, about my visit here in April 2019. Although spring was blossoming out all over in Seattle, it's still late winter out here on the Montana plains (elevation 3,330 ft).

Here are just a few photos for now.

Cousins Eric and Terry Webster and I, April 9, 2019.

4/5/19 Driving across Washington State

I left the west coast on April 3, and made it to the Coeur d'Alene Idaho area that night. A long day of driving, all the way across most of Washington, but I got to stay a couple of nights with friends from Sitka before heading east. 

Leavenworth Washington, recreated as a German village.

Lots of high plains and farm and ranch land in Eastern Washington.

4/1/19 My 2019 Cousin Quest

This blog is intended to be a record of my search for my cousins and 2nd cousins during the months of April and May of 2019.

The cousins I seek are the descendants of my great grandparents on my father's side.

• One group are the great grandchildren of Andrew Garrish Webster and Lizzie Florence Briggs - the parents of my grandfather, David Locke Webster II. 
• The other group are the great grandchildren of Walter Woodman and Mary Emeline Weston, the parents of my grandmother, Anna Cutler Woodman.

Anna Cutler Woodman and David Locke Webster II with Cutler, Nancy, Helen and David III.

Sophocles stopped along the Skykomish River.

On April 3, I headed east from Washington state to drive across the northern states, and meet my cousins along the way. I had purchased a little Scion, named Sophocles, for the drive, and planned to stop and see the sights along the way.

I have gathered the names and contact information for about 25 cousins that I hope to meet, and have contacted most, to let them know I am coming. The contact lists will be posted on this blog.

I will post updates of my journey on this blog. I also hope to publish photos and information about each of us, for those who are interested, as I am, in getting to know a little bit about each other.

My hope is that those of you who are following along will contribute to the record of this journey in search of my cousins.

Sheila Webster Finkenbinder
Daughter of David Locke Webster III & Trufonda Bjornson
April 6, 2019