Family Tree

I was goofing around Googling some genealogy things and I found a Facebook page dedicated to one branch of my family tree, the Justsasons.

Here is a picture of some unidentified Justason women from that group.

Basically Jons Justisson was a Finn living in Sweden who was arrested for poaching a deer on the Queen’s land. He was sentenced to either death or life a convict labourer in the New World. But by the time hos ship arrived in New Sweden, it had become New Amsterdam and the Dutch declared him a free man.

Over the next few generations, the surname changed spellings a few times and the family settled in New Jersey and fought for American Independence. After Independence, however, they were chased out by roving Militias apparently for being to close to what remained of the Lene Lenape (at least two of European ancestors spoke the language and they were always called upon as go betweens in any diplomatic actions).

The Justasons relocated to New Brunswick where they farmed. And after three more generations they came to South Western Ontario because the government was offering up cheap land and frankly, there were so many of them that there was little land left to inherit.

These ladies represent that Ontario branch. I don’t know who they are but I recognize a bit of a family resemblance — especially the lady second from the left who is squinting into the sun. And here is me today.