Some years ago while doing extensive research for my maternal Grandmother Isobel's life story (Searching for Isobel) I was connected with her nephew, a Primo in Canada I had never known. Another cousin of my Mom's from whom I was trying to elicit information all of a sudden said, "Call Primo Gilbert in Canada, he has done a lot of family research! " Imagine, we had never known of each other's existence!
I love this photo of Gilbert, informal and laughing. He has since passed on but it is a great blessing that we - he and his wonderful wife Claire - were able to connect families. Through Gilbert I learned of Aqua d'Alto in Sao Miguel in the Azores where my Grandmother Isobel and her family were from, and also of her siblings some of whom settled in Bermuda. I will never forget when we had our first teary phone call and all the emails and phone calls that followed.
Ask me again why researching one's family is so important! Finding Primo Gilbert and his wonderful family was a very special gift I will always treasure.
Gilbert and his wife, Claire, went to Aqua d'Alto and met more of our family there.
What better and more fitting way to introduce
the Azores than to introduce you to my Primo Gilbert.
My husband Leo met long lost first cousins because they came to the New Bedford Fiesta from California and looked him up. We then journeyed to the Sacramento California area to attend their Fiesta in July. It was so important to Leo to find a common ground with these people. The treasured his relationship until he passed away. I still communicate with them. Also his last name Campanirio should be spelled Campanario, which is a small village n Madeira. When we last visited for his birthday everyone would comment that his name was spelled incorrectly. Blame it on the customs folks that changed many names because they were different. He had uncles with the name Campanirio and Abreu. Same parents but the two last names were too much trouble for the agents in Boston and Ellis island to understand.
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