I write this for those who are interested in ancestry . . . as I have become in recent times, motivated in great part by Leslie’s work with our family history. When I was much younger I didn’t give it much thought, and that’s probably the way most people are.
There were times, though, that I wondered about my ancestors: I knew who they were, birth and death dates, etc., but I didn’t know much else — what they did in life, their personalities, how they viewed the world, and the rest. Simple data such as one would find in old documents and photo leaves a lot to the imagination. And I have regretted not knowing more about their personalities, lifestyles and family connections.
Someday, when my grandchildren and their children and those beyond are mature adults, they may wonder about the early generations of family. In that interest, here are memories and impressions of those of whom my own children know very little. I leave it to my kids and their kids to pass along to later generations of the family their impressions of their grandparents and myself and Carol.
What follows is a narrative of my memories of those who were the eldest in my family when I was a small child. Since the eldest of these date back to the time of the Civil War, I thought it might be of interest to my descendants who know of that time only through history books, film documentaries and the rest. Actually, there’s not a lot to write about, but it’s much more than the scant letters and other documents of my forebears that I have been able to see.
I should have started this long ago, so that Alice and Dave could have contributed. As it is, these words are slanted by who I am, so they may be short on accuracy. But in fact, I believe not. I had talked with Alice and Dave about our forebears enough to know that we were “in sync” regarding our collective memories of these ancestors. Here, then, are my best recollections of people I wish you could know today. I’ll begin with those ancestors who came first in time: my two great-grandmothers.