Geneaology

For years I have heard stories from various family members about aunt "so-and-so", cousin "you-know-who-I-mean", great-grandma "the-one-who-lived-down-the-street-from-aunt-what's-her-name" and although the stories have helped to paint a picture of my ancestors they are just snapshots in their lives. So recently my father and I decided to split a subscription to Ancestry.com so that we both could learn more about our ancestors and thereby maybe learn more about ourselves.

 

It has also given me an opportunity to talk with my folks and share the great wealth of pictures, ephemera and stories that they have compiled over the years. The above pictures are of the house in Cuba, Iowa where my great-grandparents lived with my grandfather. The homes in this area no longer even exist, from what I can tell and except for the cemetery and some remnants of foundations there is nothing left. Although it is hard to see there are flowers in the front of the house that my great grandmother must have tended, is this maybe where I got my love of gardening from?

The bottom image is of my grandfather and my uncle taken in the 1920s . Funny how I can see my dad and brother in both of the faces, and if I look just right, and squint my eyes I can see my son. Sorry M, no images for you yet, we haven't started working on the side of the family YOU look like.

It has been an interesting journey so far and I would encourage you to take the time to explore your roots before the folks who can help unlock the secrets of the past are gone.