Hey you all! I am Mary Joe Gordon McQuestion. I have belonged to the House of Gordon. I am active in Clan Donald as my husband is part of that clan from the Isle of Skye. As so many of us, both of our families started out in Scotland, moved to Northern Ireland and on to US and Canada. We were lucky enough to go to the International Gathering of the House of Gordon in 2000. The festival was held at Huntley Castle. It was quite a place. Long story about what happened at another time. We also went to The Isle of Skye where we visited Jack's "castiel." It is a pile of rocks on the shore. It is next to the house where Flora McDonald died. While attending the parade in Huntley I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Most were older men and looked like my dad and brother. I started crying. They both died many years ago. My father came from a long line of Dr.s. His dad was a Dr. and eight of his brothers were the same. He got his medical degree and then a doctorate in theology. I have traced his branch back to Chester, SC. for sure. When I started the search I didn't even know my grandfathers first name. I friend on myfamily.com found my father's name on an 1880 Census report in Bond County, Greenville, Illinois. It was there that I found out they had roots first in SC and probably before that in Va. As you know the Scots and Irish believe in freedom and the Gordons started the North West Treck to escape the Civil War. They went first to Huntsville, Al., then to Mississippi, Arkansas and on to Illinois. I found my grandfathers bio on the same Bond County site. It could have been written about our whole family. If any of you are interested I can send it. My dad went to medical college in St. Louis and my half brother was born there. They moved to Texas and his 1st wife died. He remarried and she died in childbirth having my brother. So wife number three was who I lived with. I wish I remembered more of his stories as the ones I do remember have turned up in the web articles I have found. DNA My husband has had it with Clan Donald and he is cousins with many of the different spellings of McQuestion. We have a very active web site and much research has come through our expanding site. We started with about 20 members and now have hundreds. Anyone going to the Clan Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh?
|