Category: Feb 2022

Sandy Mykyte

On By Vicky BriggsIn Feb 2022, Sandy MurrayLeave a comment

Whew – finally got the video done! It’s been a long process – life, in general, always seems to get in the way.

Sandra Jean Mykyte (nee Murray) is my cousin. Her mother, Evelyn, is my father’s sister. Sandy is the oldest child of Evelyn and Don. She is not the oldest of all the cousins, that would be my sister, Cris.

I’ve been unable to interview Cris in person but hoping to do that soon. Yes, we could do it with a video chat but it’s just not the same. Hoping by this summer, we should be able to get together.

Anyways, back to Sandy. There are a couple of items I wanted to mention about the interview. We did the interview at Sandy’s home. You notice in the background a couple of items. The first is the beautiful piano. This piano belonged to my grandmother, Irene Briggs. I inherited it from my father who inherited it when she passed in 1995. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the room to have it in my apartment, so Sandy has kindly taken possession until I’m able to. She’s put a lot of money into moving and tuning it and I’m very thankful for what she has done. I certainly do miss having it at my fingertips! Sandy has tried to get me to play but it’s been many years since I’ve tickled the ivories so want to get some practicing in first!

The second is located on the lid of the piano keys – the “Briggs Family” tree. This is a hand-made item made by my uncle, Dave Layton (Evelyn’s husband). He has a wonderful talent and I’m so blessed that he has gifted me with this. I’m hoping to have this made into the We Are Family Briggs logo for the blogsite, just need to find someone to do it.

On to the interview! Sandy is a kindred spirit. Her and I are very much alike in our lives, and we get along fabulously. We’ve even lived together for a short period of time – that can certainly test relationships! She is a very busy lady and I’m so gratefully she took the time to chat with me. Take note, the interview is just over 30 minutes, however, our visit was much longer! That always seems to happen when we get together. When we did the pre-interview which should last about an hour, I ended up staying for dinner and it became a 7-hour visit – love it!

Please enjoy the interview and getting to know Sandy just a little bit more – she has a beautiful loving and giving soul. I’m blessed to have her as my cousin and kindred spirit.

Take care everyone, Vicky

Video Interview Alert!

On By Vicky BriggsIn Briggs, Feb 2022, Sandy Murray2 Comments

It’s been quiet on the blog this past month or so. There’s a reason for that – I’ve been taking the course I had mentioned in a previous post. It’s a beginners course for genealogy. Well, I’ve learned a lot!! I’ve met some interesting people and have been bitten by the genealogy bug! I’ve also figured out that even though I am a very organized person, there’s still some organizing to do.

Along with doing the course, I’ve also been accumulating some books on genealogy. One of the books I’m currently reading has a pretty simple title, “Genealogy” by George G. Morgan. I’ve only read a couple of chapters but have gleaned an interesting tidbit that made things clearer for me:

  • Family history is the study of a family’s history and traditions over an extended period of time and may involve documenting some or all of the facts. A family historian may seek to trace and document specific family members or a branch of the family, and to perhaps write a family history.
  • Genealogy is the scholarly study of a family’s line of descent from its ancestors, during which one develops an understanding of the family’s historical context and documents its history and traditions. A genealogist, on the other hand, typically has a much broader view of the family. He/she trances an entire or extended family structure and actively seeks documentary evidence of many types to prove & verify facts about the family.

I am really interested and eager to learn as much as possible about our families and our ancestors so I combine both genealogy and family history research. By using this approach, it will provide us with detailed biographical information to actually bring their lives into focus.

So, as you can see, I believe I’m on the right path for this blog, our family’s history and my continued learning and tracing of our family.

Now, we get to see another video interview of a family member – my cousin, Sandy! It’s been a long process to get this one going as we both have been busy in our lives. We had a little chat a couple of weeks’ ago which turned into a long visit and a wonderful dinner. We always have a great time when we get together and go on so many different paths in our discussions and memories.

We’ll be getting together tomorrow to do the interview so should be able to get it posted on the blog in about a week.

As the weather is getting better (hopefully) and the roads to the interior are getting repaired (thankful!), I should be able to get my Dad, Aunt Ev and Uncle Rich together to do their interview. I have some interesting questions and am looking forward to their reactions, interactions and just plain ole’ actions, which is always interesting.

In the meantime, look for Sandy’s interview coming up, and for me to get in touch with some more family members to get them ready for their interviews (Lynda!).

Here’s a picture of me (in the back) and my cousins, Lynda (left), Donna (front) and Sandy (right). We’re having dinner (possibly Christmas 1970) with the family at our home on Henley Street, New Westminster.

Next week, I’ll post the picture again – see if you notice the difference! Until then – stay safe and remember, we may not be close but will always be family.

Take care, Vicky