Editorial

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Canada Tree E-Zine
Editorial


The Passing of Charles Denney

Edmonton Journal, Area Code 780 NEW AD - Obituaries (02/15/02) DENNEY, Charles On February 13, 2002, Mr. Charles Douglas Denney of Edmonton passed away at the age of 101 years. He leaves to mourn his loss, one daughter, June Hurd of Whitehorse, YT. Funeral Services will be announced at a later date. Foster & McGarvey Limited, Funeral Directors and Licensed Crematorium, 428-6666. Canadian Independent. Charles Denney's memorial will be held on Sat.March 16,2002 at the McDougall United Church (10025-101 St.) Edmonton,Ab. The announcement will appear in the Edmonton Journal on Monday Mar 11, 2002. Eulogy Metisgen, a group of Metis researchers and known cousins, wish to take this opportunity to Thank Charles Denney 'Publicly' for the donation of his papers and works with much foresight, leaving copies of his papers:in Calgary as well as Edmonton! Many of our people and families who have been able to get to these centres to view these papers, have not only found themselves, their families, grand parents, great grand parents but also a History vibrant in the making of this land and its continued support of everyone of its children within its Genealogy! The Metis do not span only this province but the whole of this Continent born from the love/hate/in some cases very bias control of historical renderings of past generations of both Native & Immigrating cultures who came to these shores and from them all, we the children of every generation born since, are what is not commonly known but are in fact: North America's Genealogy! Thereby, also connecting into and through to every other European Genealogy within them? Indians, Negroes, Acadians, French, English, Scots, Germans, Ukrainians, Japanese, Chinese and so on and so forth? Charles understood this once he realized what it is he had stumble upon, made friends with some very good land based Metis Genealogists and Researchers, who like him, also have since passed on, but every last one of them, continued to connect as many as they were able to do, within the short time it is they all had to do this within? Many have been able to find us from what it is he and many other's have left behind for not only this generation but far more generations who also are growing behind us all. A Friend of the Metis is never forgotten, but always will be cherished much as every member of our most interesting and vibrant Genealogy and History is building and becoming known! Rest in Peace Eternally Charles, while those of us who knew you will miss you, those of us who knew your work will continue to support and use as source material within our ever expanding families. A moment of silence please from everyone, for this man alone, deserves Everyone's Respect! Metisgen Internet Online Researching Members representing Many Many of our Families! Paulette Boudreault-Gilbert

Why He Did This

Charles Denney, "Why did he do this"

Hi all,

Just had to reply to this. I've had a short visit with June, Charles' daughter, and delivered all your emails to her. I only stayed a short time as she is not well, but I have been invited to come back, and I shall.

I asked June about her father's passion for genealogy and she told me he started because of the work Peter Fidler left behind, and then, just like the rest of us, he got caught up in the task, he loved doing our genealogy. Of course, we have to remember that Charles had to capture all the information in long hand, and that would have made the task take a much longer time than we are used to.

So that's what I have about that, will get back to all of you, after days off,
Love to All,
Cousin Serena Willis

TDW/DWR wrote:

Charles Denney's papers are located in the Glenbow Archives in Calgary, Alta.

You could contact them as to the for sure "why", but from what I remember he was a school teacher in rural Alberta and then latter a Provincial Government employee. He just started to look into genealogy and although he was not Metis he started to specialize in requests from individuals for their family history.

He was the first Metis genealogist of record.

Hello all
Mr Denney sent me two profiles done of him. I will give dates, etc, and if anyone has access, maybe they could paste a copy of each for our enjoyment. I don't have access to a scanner or I'd paste them.
Clandigger, I think the date is December 1990. It was partially cut off by the photocopier. "Profile: Mr. Charles D. Denney"
The Edmonton Journal, Wednesday December 29, 1993, p. A7. "Tracing the Roots of Western Canada's Metis"

The "Profile" gives him credit for proposing the concept for establishing the Alberta Treasury Branches, for beginning the Alberta Genealogy Society in 1972, and for acting as branch librarian for the Edmonton Branch of the AGS.

Margaret Clarke