Everyone has dreams of going somewhere and doing something unusual in their lives. Some will go on ship cruises to the different islands in the Pacific. Others will travel to different beaches in the United States, and have fun there. I have been to the beaches, and to different islands in the world, but my most fun pursuit was locating my lost brother and after that I started my journey into finding out who my real family was. This took me to different states and to Canada. Meeting new people who were actually related to me. When I stated that I was their cousin from a certain family member, that opened up new doors.
I traveled and I fished locally with my son, Scott. We even camped out several times. I bought a popup camper to do that in, after we got tired of sleeping in a tent. We fished on the Ohio river near home here. We went to several lakes to camp and fish. We went on stern wheel rides
My real interest was to find out who my real biological family was. This is what I will talk about now. In 1986 I located my youngest brother after 35 years of not knowing his whereabouts. Follow the link below to read about finding my lost brother. We had a reunion in Jewell county, Kansas where he was born. From that reunion, I met two second cousins that helped me do my research on my family. Lola Marie and her sister Elva Belle. I spent many days burning the midnight oil, going over who was in the family. Copying information down, going to the local court houses and checking out census records, and land records of the family, in addition to some of their marriage records. I went to Topeka, Kansas and got their death records, and birth records. I even got my real birth records from my natural parents, and the birth certificate of my stillborn twin brother. I visited the Kansas Historical Museum and copied information from there, including newspaper accounts and obituaries of some of the family. I copied the ones that my cousins didn’t have. I studied both sides of the family. my dads side and my moms side.
One day during my visit to see my brother in 1987, in Miles City, Montana, I went over to Forsyth, about 45 miles from Miles City to try and find some cousins that lived there. Marvin, my brother, worked the midnight shift at the Boys home, and while he slept I went looking for relatives. I had to look in the phone book to see where they lived. I was given a few names from the cousins in Kansas to check on. I located a cousin by the name of Janet Miller and her mother Phyllis Gribble. When I knocked on her door, she came to the door and I introduced myself, as being her cousin from Ohio, and that I was a cousin through her great grandfather James Watson. My grandmother Mary Watson and James were brother and sister. She was delighted to see me, invited me into her home, and we went over the records that I had with me and some she had from her side of the family. The cousins in Montana did not know anything about the family that was in Kansas. While in Miles City on another day, I went outside of town and met a natural aunt that was a sister to my natural mother. She was delighted to see me. Her name was Eva Bumgardner, she was the one that married the homesteader I spoke of in my page My Younger Years.
After leaving Miles City, I decided to go through Casper, Wyoming to see my natural mother. I visited with her for a few days and then went on down to Greeley, Colorado to look up some cousins that lived there. I had the obituary where my great Uncle James Watson had settled in that area, and had a few names on it. I looked up the names in the phone book, and found a Vera Forbes listed. I called her and introduced myself, and she said to come over, but only had a short time to visit, because her daughter Beverly was in the hospital, and they were waiting for her to come out of surgery. I went over to her house and introduced myself again and we went over what she had on her family, and learned more about her other Aunt. She was related to the ones in Forsyth, Montana. It was her mom, and her sisters brother that homesteaded some land near Forsyth. From Vera I received alot of information about my great Uncle James Watson. He started a truck farm around 1886, with his father in law, William Williams. They shipped alot of produce back to Kansas to where his dad lived.
During my research of my natural surname, I found out that my great grandparents were from Bruce County, Canada in Arran Township. In the summer of 1988, around June, my son Scott and I took a trip up there to visit with the family that are still working the farm that was crown deeded in 1871 by our great great grandfather.
As we traveled back home we stopped at Niagara Falls and did some sight seeing there. It sure is a beautiful place. We visited the Canadian side, just before we went across the border.
In June 1988 I went to Rawlings, Wyoming to do some research on my great aunt that was hung in that county. I went to the local court house to get her records on her homestead claim and the court inquest into her hanging. I also checked the local library to see what books they had on her. Then I went to Rawling museum for the newspaper accounts on her that year. My son Scott went with me, and he visited the local Federal Prison there in Rawlings. It's a museum now. While I was in Wyoming, I stopped in Cheyenne and went to the State Historical Museum and did some research. They were really nice to me.
In February 1989, I had to make a special trip back to Kansas, because my adoptive father had just died and I had to attend his funeral. I drove through a blinding snow storm around Kansas City, Kansas. After the funeral was over, my adoptive mom insisted that my brother Fred and I go and see my natural father. Fred drove all the way from Virginia Beach, Virginia to attend the funeral. We did go over and see him. This is the picture that was taken with him and two of his amigos.
During my family research I learned about a great aunt, Ellen Watson,
Saturday night we had our final meal at Lake Alcova, a few miles west of Casper. They had a beautiful restaurant there When I was in Casper, I had the chance to visit with my natural mother. My youngest brother Marvin came to this Reunion. My youngest son Scott went with me on this trip.
My next big adventure was going to Kansas on June 25 and 26, 1993 for another family reunion. On Friday, we went to the land that my great grandfather Thomas Watson homesteaded in 1877. On Saturday June 26 we met in Mankato and went to the museum there. It's a very interesting museum that has interesting artifacts about the early settlers in that area and pictures of early towns that don’t exist now. Our last meal was at the Red Rooster Cafe in Mankato, Kansas. We said our good-byes after that. This is a picture of my natural father Merrell Watson in the center and his two sons, me on the left and my brother Tom on the right, taken in Lebanon, Kansas during the Watson family reunion.
My next family reunion was June 23 - 26, 1994. This time it was being held in Forsyth, Montana. Usually the first day of a reunion is a checking into motel time and getting settled. This was on June 23rd. I stayed with Marvin, who lives in Miles City, just about 45 miles to the east of Forsyth. We ate some of our meals at the motel where some of the family were staying. Approximately 78 Watson Family members from nine different states attended this reunion. We met at the Forsyth VFW Hall for our hospitality room. On Friday, June 24, we went to the strip mine in Colstrip, Montana for a field trip. They strip mine for coal there. Some of us waited outside the Strip Mines tourist building, waiting on the buses to come. On Saturday, June 25th, we toured the cemetery where the relatives were buried. Then we went over to the County Courthouse and toured it, and the local museum. After that we drove to the homestead site where all of the family started in 1914.
The next day I said good bye to the cousins that were leaving, and then Marvin and I went over to one of the cousins ranches and spent the day with them. They had invited us over earlier in the day. They only owned 6000 acres. He took us to the different sights on his ranch. The trouble is, not a tree in sight. I spent about three more days with my brother, Marvin, and then headed home. I drove to Deadwood, South Dakota, and visited the different sights there. I watched the reenactment of how Wild Bill Hickok was killed in one of the saloons. Toward evening I drove to Mount Rushmore. I always wanted to visit the National Park. I stayed for the evening lighting of the Mountain and the evening program. A beautiful sight. The next day I headed home going through Kansas to see my adoptive mom and natural father.
My next family reunion was from June 20 - 22, 1996. It was held in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was hosted by one of the family members that lived in the area. We stayed at the Plaza Inn. On Thursday, June 20, we checked into the hotel and met in the hospitality room to meet other family members and to learn about the family. Saturday June 22, we had a choice of where to go in Colorado. That night we had a dinner at the host place again. Here is a group picture of the family. On Sunday, June 23, we went to Heritage Square Dinner Theatre. This was a theater show plus your dinner. It was just northwest of Denver. The place looked like a small town. It had a alpine slide from a mountain top, paddle boats, bumper boats and miniature golf. Anything you wanted to do for the day. I just went from shop to shop checking out the different merchandise in the shops. Several of the family members went to this dinner and show. From there we said our good-byes until the next reunion.
After I left the family reunion, I went up to Casper to see my natural mother. She wasn’t very far from me. I spent a few days with her, taking her to dinner a few times while I was there. From there I drove back on down to Estes Park, Colorado and decided to go along the mountain trail ridge road. It was a beautiful sight...overlooking the mountains that still had snow on top of them.
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to the local Blennerhassett Island here, for picnics and sight seeing. Here’s the reconstructed Harman Blennerhassett Mansion on the island. 
A cousin took us around the area and showed us where all of the family members in the past used to live. He showed us the house his uncle built and the land that our great grandfather had settled on in 1855. My son broke two of his splitting maul handles trying to split some wood for him. He was nice about it, went out and bought two more handles. We stayed about three days and I did some research at the libraries in the area.
Here is a picture of me at Niagara Falls. 
This is the only time my brother Fred and I have been together in Kansas, since we left home.
that was hung in Wyoming and no grave marker ever was put in where she was buried. I got together with two different researchers and also a person that was an historian in Casper, Wyoming. His name was Art Randall. If it wasn’t for Art doing alot of the leg work and organization in Casper, we would never have had a Watson Reunion. He had to get together with the researchers and go find the hanging site, and get permission to go on the land we were going on where her homestead once was. Since he loved history of that area and took different people on tours of the area, this was no problem for him. We planned a Watson family reunion there in Casper. With alot of writing to the family I knew of at that time, I finally accomplished a family reunion in Casper on July 19, 20, 21, 1989. A few days before the reunion, Art and I placed the grave marker at the location with the help of my son Scott. 
We stayed at the Days Inn in Casper. We had a ceremony at the local Fort Casper Museum on Friday July 19th. We went through the museum that had some of her artifacts including a picture of her sewing machine and moccasins 
I have her sewing machine today. The researchers told what they knew of my great aunt and the events that led up to her hanging. I did a small speech there too. 
On Saturday, July 20th, we went on a trip into the country to where she used to have a homestead. It's located on the Pathfinder Ranch lands. 
We ate a catered in lunch on the site of Ellen’s homestead. This is the site where the Pathfinder’s ranch house stands today. The corral she built is still standing and they still use it, 
in addition to her ditches she dug to irrigate her land. We dedicated a marker for her grave. We had several in attendance at the dedication. 
It was mainly opened to the family of Ellen Watson. Her nieces and nephews. A representative from the Bureau of Land Management was our guest speaker. I did a little speaking myself. 
I had my cousin Elva Belle, who was her niece, unveil the grave marker. 
We had five of Ellen’s nieces there at the dedication and reunion, whose parents were either Ellen's brother or sister. It was hot that day...just like it was 100 years ago. About 100 degrees or so. Ellen Watson’s story is another story I will tell in They HUNG My Aunt. We went to her hanging sight and saw the tree she was hung on. We had to walk over half a mile to get to the hanging site. The tree is dead today, but the scenery and landmarks are still the same today. 
Its near the Sweetwater River. She was hung in Spring Canyon. Art took us to Independent Rock, what wagon trains used as a land mark going west. There were a lot of signatures on it. Then we went on the Old Oregon trail and saw where the wagons went west. either to Oregon or to California. Some of the Oregon Trail was across private range land. The ruts are still visible.
Searching of the local court house land records told us the exact location of his homestead land. Several family members from different states attended this reunion. We met at the city park in Mankato, Kansas. 
We drove from there to the Geographical center of the Continental U.S. 
It's just few miles northwest of Lebanon, Smith County, Kansas. Then we traveled a few miles north to the homestead site. We drove from there to Odessa Cemetery in Jewell county and visited the graves of our grandparents and aunts and uncles buried there. 
There is a small Methodist church across the road from the cemetery and they catered our dinner that day. We drove on down to Cawker City, and visited the worlds largest ball of twine. 
That night we had a supper, catered by some people that knew the family, at the old Iona school. A dance followed the meal.
They had tour buses that took us through the mining areas. We watched as the big cranes with big buckets on them 
scooped up the coal and put it into trailers behind trucks and then take it to the railcar loading area. After the trip to the coal mine, we drove back to Forsyth and had a picnic lunch at one of the parks in Forsyth. 
It was fixed by some of the local relatives there. Rest of the afternoon we just went sightseeing around town. Some of the cousins went back to their motel rooms to get ready for the evening meal. For the evening meal, we met at one of the cousins ranches. Our meal was pitch fork fondue. 
It was slabs of meat put on a pitchfork and placed into boiling oil to cook. After the meal we enjoyed a campfire, and the mesquitos. 
One of the last living cousins that grew up on that homestead, told us what it was like growing up there. 
We toured the whole homestead site from the back of pickup trucks. They're still working the land today. . . over 5000 acres. We had our noon meal at the homestead site, but at the site of the second house that was built on the land. 
Then for our evening meal we went to Ingomar, an old western community that had a good bar and restaurant called Jersey Lilly. We had our final dance there. 
We had books and displays on the family for everyone to look at. 
On Friday, June 21, we gathered in the meeting room to get ready to leave for a car caravan to tour Greeley. We stopped by the famous shoe tree. 
It has shoes nailed to it. People would nail their old shoes to it, a tradition that started long time ago by a prankster. We toured my great Uncle Jim Watsons homestead land that was still left and the home that he lived in. It's one of the oldest homes in Greeley. He had a truck farm and several acres during the late 1800s. The ones that were hosting this reunion were the descendents of James Watson. We stopped in the cemetery where some of the family members were buried. 
In the afternoon, we toured Centennial Park. 
There are two dozen buildings set on 5 acres that portray the times and lifestyles of northeastern Colorado from 1860 to 1920. All of the buildings were original and moved to the park from off of the land they had occupied. Here I am at the park with my usual equipment, camcorder and camera. 
We ate a noon meal at the park. That afternoon we toured Anheuser-Bush Brewery. We toured through the Brewery and then through the stables to see the famous horses they use to pull the Budwiser Beer wagon. Then we enjoyed a beer in their bar area. 
It was free. That evening we had a dinner at our guest host's place. It rained and spoiled everything for us to be outside for the activities, so we packed everyone into the house.
You actually could walk up to the snow banks and play in it, if you wanted to. I had to wear a jacket, since it was such a high elevation, over 12,183 feet. I visited where the headwaters of the Colorado River started and visited Milner Pass, 
where the Continental Divide was. The Atlantic Ocean drainage (Cache La Poudre Creek drains into the Platte River, and toward the Mississippi River) went one way and the Pacific Ocean drainage (Beaver Creek drains into the Colorado River and down into the Gulf of Mexico) went the other way. I drove through Denver, and stopped in at the grave where Buffalo Bill Cody was buried, overlooking Denver, Colorado. 
Then I drove to Kansas to visit with my adoptive mother, and see my natural father.
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