From the Editor's Desk

As I write these comments in late November, autumn has come to Minnesota. The leaves have fallen, the evenings are crisp, and the birds, ducks and geese have headed south. We are preparing for another Minnesota winter.
 

A special thank you to all of our namesakes and family descendants who continue to support our efforts to share the history of our families. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to publish the Eustace Families Post. Your continued support helps to make this time seem worthwhile. I welcome your suggestions, corrections and ideas.
 

In this issue, readers will become better acquainted with Tim Eustace of Abington, Oxfordshire, England , Ellsworth “Sam” Eustace of California and our son Kevin Eustice of California. It is a pleasure to share these stories with you.
 

In each issue we attempt to feature family members from various branches. Sam Eustice and Tim Eustace each descend from families that originated in Cornwall. Kevin Eustice is a descendent of the Irish family that has its base in the counties of Kildare and Wicklow. We hope to share more biographical sketches with you in future issues. Please send information that will help me to write the articles.
 

I often receive questions concerning the possible connection between the various branches of the families. Some have suggested research to find a common ancestor in an attempt to link the English, Cornish and Irish lines. Here is my perspective on possible links in a nutshell.
 

Eustace Families Association Donald W. Eustace attempted to find the common “link.” He was unsuccessful and as research progressed it became apparent that we have three distinct families. The Eustace famiy of Oxfordshire has been linked to the Eustises of Boston and the Eustaces of Virginia. The Cornish families may or may not have a common link with the Oxfordshire family. The Oxfordshire, Boston and Virginia families have roots in Flanders which is now part of Belgium. Efforts to link the Oxfordshire family with the Counts of Boulogne continue. It appears certain that the Irish family is of entirely different ancestry and descends from Normans who have earlier roots not just in Normandy but in the Norse countries of Scandinavia.
 

It’s been a busy year for Margaret and me. Our oldest son Kevin married Alison Walker on April 30th in Santa Monica, California. Please see pages 13-15. We are thrilled and look forward to all the excitement that a new daughter-in-law has brought to our family! Alison and Kevin are both in graduate school at UCLA pursuing Ph.D’s. A special highlight of our trip to Santa Monica was a visit with long time EFA member Steve Eustis of San Angelo, Texas who was attending a conference in the area. This was our second meeting with Steve and it is always a pleasure.
 

In June, Margaret and I traveled to Providence, Rhode Island where I spoke at a food safety conference sponsored by the National Environmental Health Association. Following the conference, we went to Saratoga County, New York where we met the Eustis family of Schuylerville and Victory Mills. We still have not determined whether there is a common ancestor between the Eustises of Schuylerville and the Eustices in Minnesota, however we know that both families are Irish and perhaps that in itself provides a common link. I suspect that there if we dig deeply we will find a link but perhaps as far back as the 1700s. My research into the Eustis families of Schuylerville and a possible link with my immigrant ancestor John Eustice (1833-1916) has been enriched through the efforts of Terry Diebel of Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Terry, an astute family history researcher, has Eustice ancestors that came from County Clare to Minnesota. We will learn more about the Eustice/Eustace family of County Clare in a future issue.
 

In October, my wife Margaret and I traveled to Lima, Peru where I was invited to speak about food irradiation to the Peruvian Asparagus Growers. A highlight odf this trip was a stop in the historic city of Cuzco and a visit to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Only pictures can describe the beauty of Peru and its wonders. Truly, our visit to Peru was a trip of a lifetime.
 

Our two other children have very busy lives too! Our son John completed his studies in horticulture at the University of Minnesota. He has many projects including a busy schedule at Eastcliffe, the home of the president of the University of Minnesota. Our daughter AnnMarie is pursuing a degree in Interior Design also at the University of Minnesota. Her studies keep her very busy but somehow she finds time to work in retail sales at Nordstroms and is involved with the production of an HGTV television program about home decorating and interior design.
 

As Christmas and a new year approach, I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for a wonderful holiday season. Please don’t forget to send ideas and suggestions for future articles for the Eustace Families Post.