Wow.. two years has passed (AGAIN) and here we are.
Today I came across a post on Facebook in my memories, it was a visit I had made to a cemetery 14 years ago - a cemetery in the woods in beautiful West Virginia. On a cold day, with not too much time my husband and I made a trek to find them, my family. Seeing that post and reading the corresponding blog entry sparked something in me. My search for the family, the days when I would actively chase them down to make a connection. I missed that. It brought back memories of sharing my finds with my parents and grandmother (and anyone else who would listen). Visiting my blog... dusty OLD thing that it is, and reading over old posts and things I was researching and questions I had - many of which still exist, I need to get back to it! I think the last time I wrote was during the release of the 1940 census, almost 10 years ago! Now the 1950 is out there and I've got some catching up to do! Having let my ancestry subscription lapse many years ago, I'm digging around other sites to see what's new. And I'm still frustrated that I haven't found Grandad in 1940.
It's funny because I've had a new found interest in my genealogy research lately, maybe re visiting this old place will continue that rekindle. This fall I had the joy of a lovely visit from a 2nd cousin who lives in England. We've been in contact for many years. Sharing finds and secrets and family lore. I just love that she came here to our home and spent a day with us. It was a wonderful visit, and I'm so thankful. She shares with me all the knowledge from her side and together we have tried to solve the mystery of my great uncle John who remained in England when his family came to the US in the 1920s. Much of his life is a mystery and sadly we may never have any further details but it keeps me intrigued nonetheless.
Other updates - If you look on the right margin of my blog, you'll see that I was previously actively searching for my cousin Brenda. It was a frustrating topic and I looked for her for many years. In 2014 I finally managed to track down her son, who sadly was also looking for her. After much digging and tapping on the keyboard I managed to track her down in Colorado, but no phone numbers were listed but I had a name! Anyway, armed with her (several) AKAs I found her in the SSI and realized that it was too late, she had passed. Having to be the one to tell her son was so hard for me. He hadn't seen her since he was three, no news, no communication, no understanding. I was sad to tell him.
Not the ending I had hoped for, but at least now I know what became of her. Sadly she didn't have a happy life, didn't have a happy ending. She passed a few years before I managed to track down her location, but something tells me that she didn't want to be found, having escaped her past. I'm sad about it, I often think of her still and wonder what demons she was battling in her short lifetime. Sadly I'll never know, although some who knew her have shared with me some of her struggles and challenges. I will always wish that I had been able to catch up with her, chat with her, and hug her. Rest in peace Brenda, you aren't forgotten.
You may also note that I was seeking information on my uncle Hugh Bellew. Sadly, I've found nothing and may never find anything further for him. But I always check the databases, always enter his name, trying to find one little tidbit for my Mom who never knew what happened to him, something Grandma always asked about when speaking of the family.
So lately I've been adding to my tree on FamilySearch, utilizing the tools there to make further connections and see what info is available on the site. I love connecting the dots but feel like I have become a bit robotic in my searching and I'm hoping that telling the stories again, the thing that I love about doing this research in the first place, will help me get back into a more human approach to my research. Too many "automated" things in our lives, the need for instant gratification, computer generated transcriptions and the ability to add info at the click of a button has removed the human touch for me. I need to get back to building their lives. I remember when I first started, with all my info in a notebook, and most of it committed to memory because I had to actively search for it, dig it out, seek and find, make note of it, visit it again to connect the dots. I hope to make more connections, I hope to find Grandad in 1940 and I hope to find more cousins near and far to share with.
