Family Reunions

Well, it's getting to be the time of year when most of us have to start thinking about family reunions. We all love our families, but life sometimes has a habit of putting distance between family members. Sometimes it kids, sometimes family moves away to another state or country, some have health problems, etc.

If it's not little league, then it's dance or gymnastics, soccor, school plays, birthday parties, vacations, Christmas or whatever, but it just seems that you don't have much time to see your extended family members. Family reunions are a great way to at least get to see your family once a year, if not more. And of course, there's always the pot luck lunch that comes along with a reunion.

My father-in-law, Gene and his siblings have been having reunions for quiet a few years now. There were four brothers and one sister in the family. Gene's mother died when he was a baby and his sister, Frank (Francis) helped to raise all the boys. There are only the twins, Hoyt and Howard left now. Gene, Milton and Frank have all passed away, but the family still gets together to have a reunion and to remember them.

There's always lots of laughter and plenty of good food. When I got into the family, I started making them get together for "group" shots so that my kids would grow up knowing who their aunts and uncles are. It's a wonderful way to get to know your extended family and to have a great memory of the day. I always made sure I got a picture of the brothers and sister whether they were all there or not. I cherish them to this day. The pictures from 1999, 2000 and 2001 are above.

My mother-in-law, Dorothy and her sisters Willene and Betty, have a family reunion every year. They do it for the joy that they get out of seeing those they love and out of respect for their mother who made them promise on her deathbed, that they would always keep the family together. I'm sure that this wonderful woman we called "Grandma Dodd" is so proud of her daughters for the love and hard work they put into her dying wish. The pictures above are from 1997, 2006 and 2009.

If everyone shows up draggin their young 'ens in tow, then they are estatic. If not, they're happy with whomever happens to pop in the door. They will cook for days to make sure that each and every one gets to eat something they love and to make sure their houses are spotless and ready for "company". They enlist the help of husbands, kids and grandkids alike to drag chairs and tables up from the basement and meticulously make sure that everyone has a seat.

They valiantly try each year to get us to sit with members of the family that we don't normally get to see and we try, but somehow or another, we always end up sitting with the same ones each year..... but, God love 'em, they keep on trying!

If you get the chance to go to a family reunion, then try your best. Even if you think you won't hardly know anyone - I guarantee you that someone will know you and want to know everything you have been up to since the last time they saw you (which may be 20 years or more). You'll be amazed at just how much fun you can have. And remember that these are the people you came from - no matter how good or bad they are - they are all a part of your "family history" and a lot can be learned from them. And be sure to take a camera - you never know when or if you'll see your "kin folk" again.

Enjoy this beautiful day that God has given us and remember I love you all!

Family History

When I was in high school I became very interested in my family. My mother and father both loved their families very much and talked about their ancestors often. It was only natural that I would want to know more about these people I had heard so much about as a child. Our ancestors have a lot to do with the people we are today.

If you have ever had an interest in your ancestors and set out to find out who they were, then you understand just how addicting it can be. Genealogy (the search for one's roots) is a wonderful hobby but can become all consuming. When my children were younger, I would drag them to old courthouses, family reunions and cemeteries. I can remember my son sitting in the back seat of the car when we'd pass a cemetery he'd say: "Don't stop mom - we don't have time".

I have a database containing more that 10,000 people with the same surnames as my family and more notes on those people than I will ever be able to post to their information. I learned early on that you have to gather any and all information on people with the same surname because somewhere in the branches of your family tree, they are going to join into the same tree trunk as your family - otherwise known as "branch kin".

Genealogy is also a wonderful way to learn history - not only of your family but of our great nation. I never really liked history much and could have cared less about it until I started digging for my roots. I've learned about the civil war and many of it's battles, migration patterns of our ancestors, the Revolutionary War, the World Wars and many other momentous occasions in the forming of our country.

I never knew any of my grandparents because they had all passed away before I was born, but I felt as if I had known them since they were so loved and talked about by my parents. I longed for the knowledge of who they were, what their lives were like and where they came from and was pleasantly surprised at the things I found.

Genealogy is an ongoing process and after four decades of searching, I still find out things about my ancestors that never cease to amaze me. And yes there are many "skeletons in my closet", but that's part of the fun of genealogy - finding out that there were some black sheep in the flock right along with all the pretty white ones.

In all my countless hours of searching, I learned a lot about who I was, who I wanted to become and who I wanted my children to become. I know that because of the wonderful God-fearing ancestors that I have that I am a better person. I continue to grow and learn, and I know that I have a lot of relatives long gone standing behind me cheering me on.......