So my Aunt Sharon has been doing some geneology work and has discovered that I am related to New Netherlands founding father Joris Rapelje. He is my great grandfather back ten generations. He is also my first link to some French heritage. And since he and his wife were married and departed from the Spanish Netherlands after being run out of France by the Catholics it gives me a tie to Spain as well.
What is really interesting about this find is that she tracked Joris down and had no idea who he was. He, and his wife, are both people that I have studied previously in my history studies but did not know that we were related. I knew who it was the instant that I heard the name.
What makes this even more interesting is that I am descended from Joris through my mother’s mother’s side and Aunt Sharon’s husband Leo (George Leo Richardson) is why she found Joris, because he is descended from him as well. That makes Leo and I tenth cousins!
I played video games with the kids today. I had plans to go out with Shawn tonight, but he has broken ribs from playing football over Thanksgiving and fell asleep so I never heard from him.