First trip to Chester, NH

A quick refresher:  Our ancestor who first came to Detroit and settled this land is my Four Times Great Grandfather, Nathaniel Basford.  It is his and his wife's and daughter's headstones that we have in the barn that we WILL put into the renovated Basford Family Cemetery one day, hopefully soon.
Nathaniel's father was Ebenezer, his mother Mehitable (Young) Basford.  Ebenezer's father was Jacob (the younger), who died fighting in Canada.  No one knows where his body is buried.  Jacob's father was James and James' father was Jacob (the elder).
Based on Aaron's research they also died in the Chester, NH area.  I did not find their headstones today but I did find Ebenezer's and Mehitable's!  It's not say they aren't in the Chester Village Cemetery but, if they are, their headstones are not legible.  I suspect they're probably buried in an old family cemetery.  I wonder if there is one near that house we found -- the 3rd oldest in Chester, owned by a Mary Basford who married a Lane.  I think I know which Mary Basford this is but the records aren't good enough to prove it...yet.  This house sits on Route 102 at the corner of Lane Road.
So I'm going to share here the photos I took of the Basfords I found in the Chester Village Cemetery, as well as a couple of pictures of old buildings in the town center -- or what was probably the town center back in those days.  It's the Congregation Church that our ancestors would've gone to and a meeting house across the road, all at that intersection where the village cemetery sits.

Food, Family and Fire, The Trifecta of a great day

Saturday May 16th, 2015

Hannah and I went to Detroit to see the family for a day of clearing for the family cemetery.  It is part of the deed of the Basford property, on the most beautiful piece of land I have ever seen.

A wonderful few hours of walking in the woods with Hannah and Mom, Hannah asking lots of great questions about what she saw and Mom telling her many of the same things she taught me at the same age. At one point, Hannah holding my hand and her gram-gram's hand.

Zeb bought a new gas grill which Kimmy, Wes and Zeb spend a few hours putting together. They put in the pick-up truck to move out to the bonfire so  H got her first ride in the back of a pick-up and is now sold that its the way to travel!

Uncle Wayne,  Zeb, the skidda, and chainsaw started clearing.  Aaron and Jen arrived. As a side note, if anyone hasn't been watching Aaron and Jen's year of fitness and health, you have to go check our their Facebook pages, truly amazing!

I, Grace, twisted my ankle on my second trip out in the field as part of my master plan to not have to work so I set up near the grill but no I didn't cook.  Aunt Ginny arrived driven by McKenna with her newly acquired license.  Jeremy and JJ's and children arrived by bike and ATV.  Great conversations about where the road used to be, where the different generations ice skated in the field, where the paths between the farm and the "little" house were and who used them along with current activity of cheer-leading, who has a girlfriend (wont embarrass Ian) and how many kiddos graduate next year from the family. There was plenty of food, beer and fire

As I write this, I try to think if there was something remarkable about the day that makes it worth a blog and I realized yes, Family. No One cares if you comb your hair (ask Hannah) or if you have a huge hole in the butt of your pants (ask Zeb), they just care. No matter how long since you have seen each other, you belong.   

Nathaniel Basford has the right idea, live there, die there then let your body go back to the land there