I once found a “cousin” by leaving a note on a gravestone where both of us had been placing flowers on Memorial Day. These days, of course, it’s not unusual to find a relative through the Internet, a new-fashioned device that can make for some old-fashioned reunions.

Nessa Burns Reifsnyder of Mount Desert wrote a fascinating story of a reunion that was 50 years in the making, one that began to come together after a conversation she had last summer with her mom, Maryann Arnold, a Millinocket native who lives in New York.

Using the few names she had, Reifsnyder started looking for ancestors of her grandmother Theresa Pinette from northern Maine, and Pinette’s mother, Elizabeth “Betsy” Brown. Through the Internet, Reifsnyder found the names of Brown’s parents, William Brown and Helen or Ellen Finn of Eagle Lake. Both were from Ireland and they were married in 1852 in St. Luce Church in Frenchville.

“I was thrilled,” Reifsnyder wrote. “Finally I had started verifying old stories from the past about Nana’s origins. But that’s not the best part.”

She then plugged in “William Brown” and “Eagle Lake, Maine” on the search engine Alta Vista, and came across a Jim Brown who had posted a query about the Browns on the Brown Family Genealogical Society home page. His query made it clear that he was seeking the same information. Betsy Brown Pinette was his aunt.

“Since Sept. 19,” Reifsnyder wrote, “Jim, who lives in Virginia, and I have been piecing together the story of our mutual family. And it’s a big story – Jim is the last of 18 children born and raised in Eagle Lake, and we are related not only as Browns but also through the Pinette lineage.”

The Browns were very active in Eagle Lake during the turn of the century, holding a variety of town positions.

“Jim described the Browns’ land to me from memory, and I located it on an Internet map from the turn of the century and sent that to him. That map is now the wallpaper on my computer, showing Brown’s Point and Brown’s Brook. It makes me so proud to see it,” Reifsnyder wrote.

The site she used was from the Documents Department and Data Center at the University of New Hampshire’s Dimond Library, http://docs.unh.edu/towns/MaineTownList.htm.

You may find that these Historic USGS Maps of Maine have more detail than some topographical maps you have seen in books of maps. These are more like the individual topo maps that hunters, fishermen and hikers keep around.

On Nov. 8, Reifsnyder’s mother and Jim Brown had dinner together, the first time they’d seen each other since 1948.

You’ll notice that our first query today relates to the Brown family, as well. Thanks to Nessa Reifsnyder for sharing this wonderful story.

Today’s last query is unusual. It pertains to a Maine lumberyard from the 1940s, but the writer isn’t sure of the name of the family who owned it. Maybe you can help.

3048. BROWN-FINN-DEE. Looking to verify stories that William Brown and wife Ellen Finn met “on the boat” from Ireland, probably 1840s. Ellen was daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Morgan) Finn. Two sisters, one named Bridget, supposedly traveled here with the younger Ellen. Family tradition says there was a connection to Dee family. Would this have been the Bridget Dee, living in Hancock Plantation with husband, William Dee, in 1850? William Brown also lived in Hancock Plantation then. Nessa Burns Reifsnyder, 371 Sound Drive, Mount Desert, ME 04660; or e-mail nbr@jax.org.

3049.FARRAR-MACDONALD. Searching for ancestors, descendants, dates and places for Simon Farrar family. His mother was Mary, but I know nothing of his father. Simon married Ellen MacDonald. I suspect they lived in Amity area. There were five children, order unknown. I have info on two, Edith and Annie, but not on Joseph, John and Martha. Edith Farrar, my great-grandmother, b. May 20, 1872, Amity, d. Sept. 12, 1956, Presque Isle. She md. 1) Kenneth MacDonald, 1867-1923, about 1889; md. 2) Clinton B. Perry, 1879-1943, in 1923. Edith and Kenneth MacDonald had two sons and six daughters b. in Amity or that area. Last child, a daughter, b. in Masardis. Annie Farrar md. George Sabin or Sabins and had Pearl, Milton and Nellie. Jean Marie Boddy-Johnston, P.O. Box 333, Milford, ME 04461-0333; or e-mail eddandjm@agate.net.

3050. MAINE LUMBER YARD. Trying to trace a family who owned a timber or lumberyard in Maine in the early 1940s. Surname began with “M” and may have been Marcott, Merrill, Marner, Morrea, Mayo or something similar. The mother was running the business while son Robert was in England serving in the American forces during World War II. Does anyone have a list of lumberyards that might help find the name of this business? The family is often spoken of by some English “oldies” with great affection, and I would dearly love to trace this family. Sally Vincent, 15-19 Frinton Road, Kirby Cross, Frinton on sea, CO13 OLB Essex, England; or e-mail Salvin@lineone.net.

Send queries with Maine connections to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or e-mail familyti@bangordailynews.net. Full name and address of sender are required even if e-mail is used.