Double Shot of Blood is Good for the Soul

Have you ever struggled to explain how you are related to someone?  Sometimes, it is so very easy.  You can say, "He's my mother's brother."  That works well. 

In my world, however, it can be quite difficult to just say it.  I mean, I sometimes find I need a pen and paper just to explain it to my closest blood relatives.  Take, for example, my dear sweet cousin who called last week just to chat.  I met sweet Barbara some 12 years ago while I was researching my grandfather's bloodline.  She had an unusual name to my ears and she was living in the same metro area as I was.  Or at least, someone with that surname was.  So, I took a chance and wrote her a letter.  Gee, do you even remember writing letters and sending them through the mail?  That seems like ages ago.  Anyway......

Barbara gave me a call after she had received the letter and told me that she was indeed the granddaughter of my grandfather's first cousin.  She had stories to tell and I had ears anxiously waiting to listen.  And, then, she dropped the news that we shared another bond.

It seems her grandfather on her mother's side was the brother of grandfather's mother.  Seems confusing, eh?

To make it clear really does take a paper and pen, or a great chart printed by my favorite genealogy program, but it is true.

My sweet cousin was able to provide more information for me and was able to introduce me to both her parents.  Now, yes, they were quite old and memories were fading.  But for me, they were a link to grandfather.  For me, they were a love bond ready to happen.  For me, they were family and I was happy to listen and hold their hands.  Just thinking that those wrinkled hands of old had known my greatgrandparents and hugged them and shared family meals with them just brought shivers down my spine.  Of course, hearing them share some more lore with me brought tears to my eyes.

So, here I sit, still trying to untangle the weave of the cloth of which I am made.  Every time a new string appears, there's another new story for my ears.  Just last week, Barbara shared with me that my greatgrandmother had worked in a cigar factory.  A cigar factory?  Really?  I didn't even know there was one in the Low Country.

So the search was on....  Using my trusty fingers on the keyboard, I found the cigar factory that had been mentioned.  I just wonder if she worked there when it first opened in the early 1880s or if she worked there before her marriage or after the birth of her children.  I still haven't figured out if I can determine that, and I may not be able to find the trail.  But, the image of her that was painted for me by another great-niece of hers became clearer as this niece told me that greatgrandmother loved her snuff.  You can read the story of how I found her here.

Ahhh, genealogy.  How many double shots of blood do you have running in your veins?  I have several of them....from the late 1800s.  Brings new meaning to who is related to whom?  Or is it how many times are you related?

©AS Eldredge 2013.

Searching for Low Country Graves

Thanks to the Colonial Dames over in Georgetown, South Carolina, for reading the cemeteries in Georgetown County and getting the cemetery census online.

I found the story through the Eastman Newsletter and immediately set about trying to see if I could dig up any family members in Georgetown. Before I could do that, I had to refresh my memory on some of the surnames from that side of the family.

So, if you don't see me for a day or two, just look around the Low Country for me. You'll recognize me. I'm the one who will be digging for gold.

Home Again

I've been remiss. Actually, I've been home.

Home to my roots. Home to where my soul calls me. Home with my toes in the sand.

For the past several days, I've been basking in the sun in the lowcountry and thinking about the past. For me, that past is the 1870s when my maternal great grandparents landed in this area from Sweden.

One of my cousins dropped by with a DVD for me. This DVD had movies from the early 1950s on it. I cried as I saw my grandparents in the video. I cried as I saw my beloved family members who are all gone. Here they were laughing and smiling again. Today,they are smiling in my heart.

If you've got ole movies hanging around, please take the time to review them. Take the time to get them on DVD. You'll journey back to the past with happy tears.

My cousin promises to bring me World War II video next. I can hardly wait.

Until next time, you can find me on the beach. I'm easy to find. My toes are dug in the sand and I have a faraway look in my eyes.