Everyone has a family tree, but we have a family Tree: an actual tree.

In 1902, my great-grandparents immigrated to Saskatchewan. By 1916 they had acquired more land, built a barn and a two story house (in that order). At some point my great-grandmother planted a maple tree in the garden and it still stands today. 

When I expressed interest in the tree, my uncle invited us out to see it. I wanted my son to wrap his arms around it and gain a tangible feeling for what his ancestors had accomplished and created in this country. However, I knew it would be some time before we could arrange a trip. So, last summer I finally asked my cousin, who still lives on the family farm, to photograph it for me. I had been putting off asking her, as I had lost touch with her decades before, being many years her junior; I didn’t want to bother her. She gladly took the photo, though, and promptly e-mailed it to me, and it was lovely to see how big and green the tree was. The image would make a lovely addition to a family history I was writing. Then, two weeks later I received a surprising e-mail from her detailing how half the tree had broken off in a storm. She described how the poor tired old tree had simply laid down amid the johnny-jump-ups, avoiding the many obstacles surrounding it: the swing-set, slide, garden, and twelve young maple trees that were planted in honour of each of my father’s generation. In yet further irony, she captured a photograph of the rainbow that then appeared over the barn (which celebrates its 100th birthday this year).

The photo I have of the maple tree will be the basis of a family tree diagram, with the woman who planted it as the trunk (along with her spouse), their descendants as the branches and leaves and their ancestors as the roots. So, in this month of our country’s birthday, I think of our own maple tree and how our ancestors helped create a community out of bare prairie and in the process helped form our country. I also remember to never put off asking a question, as one never knows when it will be too late to get an answer.

P.S. History tip: Any tree will work for a diagram; perhaps your ancestors had a favorite tree or there was a special tree you climbed as a child. Even a bush, such as a lilac or rose will make a nice diagram backdrop, especially if it had a special significance or reminds you of someone you love.