WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? THEY ASK, AND I REPLY…
SHOULD’VE BEEN A COWBOY
 |
| Jerry & Sunup 1996 |
I've studied my family history for 40+ years and have had a modicum of success.
I am proud to claim a “fur trade and cowboy heritage.”
My family roots have, for the most part, been tied to the land.
My recent ancestors, the past twelve generations, came to North America from Scotland, England, Sweden and Denmark, Netherlands, Ireland, France, and Norway.
Among them there were Puritans, Quakers, Anglicans, Catholics, Huguenots, Baptists, Presbyterians, and a plethora of other Protestant sects.
Their occupations included farmers, ranchers, loggers, fur traders, teamsters, blacksmiths, saddle-makers, coachmen, horse-traders, canoemen, cavalrymen, soldiers, and builders.
During my 81+ years on planet earth I have been many things…
a soldier, carpenter, home builder, canoeist, cowboy folk artist, horseman, movie historian, genealogist, fur trade historian, and a writer.
 |
| Brown Family 1950 |
One of my fondest childhood memories was a 1950 visit to the Lon and Olive Brown family, mom’s aunt and uncle in Montana. They literally lived in the woods several miles out of Kalispell, Montana. Uncle Lon described his home as a ‘stump ranch,’ where he made his living by farming, ranching, logging, hunting and fishing.
During that 1950 visit I learned to ride a horse, and I heard tales about Lewis and Clark’s Voyage of Discovery, stories about cowboys, Indians, and trappers in early Montana. I was hooked and wanted to learn everything possible about such a beautiful and alluring place as Montana. I’ve spent most of my life doing just that…
A few years back my eldest grandson had a college class project that required him to interview his granddad to ask about the changes seen in a lifetime.
Jerry 2024
I responded, in part, by taking all of my favorite family photos, and putting them in a slideshow that reflects my ancestry and the past 80+ years of my life…
SHOULD’VE BEEN A COWBOY…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLvqg0dvbzs&t=4s
