I don't understand how I got all this stuff. I'm sure most of it came either from my Mom, or my cousin, but somehow I've ended up with the physical memorabilia of my family. Most of it, surprisingly, is from my Mom's side of the family- The Wards and Gruetzmachers. I say surprisingly, because it's my Dad's side of the family that is so into Genealogy. The Clarks and Kents have scads of photos, stories, books and 'stuff', but I don't have much of it. That's probably because there's so much competition for the family treasures. I certainly don't have any special claims on anything, so my little treasure trove is small. However, as I have been going through the Gruetzmacher file, creating layouts and doing my 'due diligence', the picture is starting to clear, and I'm beginning to know my ancestors in ways I never thought possible. Perhaps it is because mixed in with the photos, are postcards and letters. Lots of postcards, not many letters. But these personal communications have given more depth to my understanding and appreciation of my family than I ever imagined! How fun to read about cousins, visits, schoolwork, travels- all part of life in the early 20th century. I also appreciate the internet- I've been able to fill in a lot of missing blanks with my research. It's also nice to discover that my long-gone family members seem like folks I would love to have known. I'm so grateful for this legacy.
2 comments:
Oh boy, those are some darling little kid pictures!! I'm not much into history, but I do enjoy learning about my family's past as well. All I have is a few photos, though--I'm not a packrat!
sounds like a wonderful journey you are on learning all this info about your family
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