It wasn't until July 1987 that I met all of Claude's six Henson siblings when they gathered in Duncan at his brother Wayne and Fran Henson's place for a mini-reunion. I attended with my mother to represent Claude. I learned that Dick and Joan lived nearby in Sidney BC, but they later moved without leaving a forwarding address so I lost touch. Mildred Fiveland was there from Alberta and shared some of her family notes with me. Pearl Johnson was also out from Alberta and Mae Gillespie was down from Nanaimo. Ethel King also attended, although was already afflicted with dementia. It was a happy afternoon for me, getting to meet and visit with my elderly Henson aunts and uncles.
Over the last few years I have also taken advantage of the growing number of records and networking opportunities now available on the internet. I even found our family's homesteading story in an article entitled The Henson-Hunt Story, written by my Aunt Mildred Henson for a Boyle Alberta local history publication, which had been digitized and made available online. I was thrilled that it included a photo of Claude, Dick and their father Angus taken about 1945 that I had never seen before.
I have also had the privilege of connecting with other Henson researchers and relatives online, who have been kind enough to share their information and friendship with me. In particular I'd like to thank Claudine, Evelyn, Fran, Shirley and most recently Annette for their help and for making this process of discovery so enjoyable! Also thanks to Linda, a more distant cousin on the CROW and HUNT side.
Here's to continuing happy hunting and even more new connections and discoveries!