Name

Janet Howie Roberts  Picture taken in (1917)

I was named after my great grandmother Janet Howie Roberts.
I never appreciated my name until I began doing family history work.
The more I learned about my great grandmother, the more I respected her and my name.

The Isaac Roberts & Janet Howie family:


Here is just a little of what I know about her:

• She was born and raised in County Durham, England
• Her father, brothers, and husband were all coalminers.  
• She had 13 children, and buried four of them.
• On St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 1911, Janet's three-year-old daughter, Mary Elizabeth died. Two days later Janet's second daughter, Sarah Ann died.  Janet buried both of her little girls on the same day. (numbers 38 & 39 in the above picture)
• Janet's first three sons, Hugh, James (my grandfather), and Percy, all served in WWI and her younger son, Isaac served in WWII.  (numbers 26, 24, and 28 in the above picture)
• In 1906, at age 38, she traveled from England with her husband and seven children.  The youngest was 4 months old. 
• Three months after the family’s arrival to the U.S. her little son Willie, died just two days before the family’s first Christmas in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Willie had been sick since they arrived in the US.
• Janet liked to knit and many of the pictures we have today have her children and grandchildren wearing those knitted hats.  (see below)

• In addition to her own 13 children, she raised two of her grandchildren.
• Janet died four years after her husband.
• Janet is buried in Rock Springs, Wyoming next to her husband and her three young children.