@lucillelucillelucille
It even got more interesting the more I delved into the past.
After the loss of his first wife Marie and twelve days after giving birth to there first child in 1892, ,the maternal Grandparents took up to raising the child .( Henry was age 24 yrs old ,wife age 23 yrs old when she passed).
The father remarried five years later with the agreement to never have contact with his wife’s family nor his child.( Possessive 2nd wife?)
While driving a team of horses and wagon in a January snow storm over a high placed bridge the whole team .wagon , and him fell over the bridge,leaving Henry pinned under the wheels for a few days until he was found barely surviving.
He had both his arms below the elbow amputated as a result of that horrendous accident.
But he was determined to work his acreages of farmland and hooked up a team of oxen to his upper arms ( on a wagon) and worked his vast farmland and later had twelve more children and prospered.
He never gave up and I suppose the numerous children and new wife spurred him on to care for his family the best that he could.
He lived until 1944 at age 76 years old passed away peacefully.( born in Cheshire, England 1868 ).
Because of that DNA connection ( from one of those 12 children) I was able to connect his line back to 1782 on his Paternal side.
And learned of his first wife’s lineage as well back to 1790 ( French line ).
Have a photograph of him on his wagon and the straps fixed on his upper arms as he drove a team of oxen to work his farmland.
It is his inspiring strength of character and determination that he is remembered for.
