THE STORY TELLERS

We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors – to put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve.

To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.

We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one.

We have been called by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: tell our story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me?

I cannot say.

It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation.

It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe is called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers.

That is why I do genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones.

This poem is attributed to different authors, but it is believed to have been written in 1943, and edited by Thomas Dunn.
***********
Someday, everything will make perfect sense, so, for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, be strong, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
'Author John Mayer
***********
Father:
Thank You for each and every day You have blessed us here on earth.
Thank You for Your tender mercies.
Thank You for giving us friends and family to share joys and sorrows with.
I ask You to bless my friends, relatives, brothers and sisters and those I care deeply for, who are reading this right now.
Where there is joy, give them continued joy.
Where there is pain or sorrow, give them your peace and mercy.
Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence.
Where there is need, fulfill their needs.
Bless their homes, families, their goings and their comings.
In Jesus Name, Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."
Numbers 6 : 24-26 NKJV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was born in Darlington, Montgomery County, Indiana. I was raised on Bernard Ridge, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky.
I live in Anderson, IN, but also have a home on Bernard Ridge in KY.
My ancestors are: Stephens and Coffey (on both sides of the family), McQueary, Tarter, Wilson and, I am connected, in some way, to just about every other family in Russell Co., Kentucky
************
Sincerely, thank you, to all you wonderful geneologist who do so much research. Without you, my family "trees" would not have grown from the small acorns to the mighty oaks. You have unselfishly answered so many questions for me. I have benefited so much from your superior knowledge. May God bless every one of you.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Pl-eas-e-e, stealing an obituary from a newspaper???

The majority of obituaries are not covered by copyright laws since they are created by family members not an individual person.

The newspaper or Funeral Home cannot claim copyright.

Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.

¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥

This would be funny if it wasn't so close to the truth.
CALLER:
Is this Gordon's Pizza?
GOOGLE:
No sir, it's Google Pizza.
CALLER:
I must have dialed a wrong number. Sorry.
GOOGLE:
No sir, Google bought Gordon's Pizza last month.
CALLER:
OK. I would like to order a pizza.
GOOGLE:
Do you want your usual, sir?
CALLER:
My usual? You know me?
GOOGLE:
According to our caller ID data sheet, the last 12 times you called you ordered an extra-large pizza with three cheeses, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and meatballs on a thick crust.
CALLER:
OK! That's what I want
GOOGLE:
May I suggest that this time you order a pizza with ricotta, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and olives
on a whole wheat gluten-free thin crust?
CALLER:
What? I detest vegetable!.
GOOGLE:
Your cholesterol is not good, sir.
CALLER:
How the hell do you know?!
GOOGLE:
Well, we cross-referenced your home phone number with your medical records.
We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.
CALLER:
Okay, but I do not want your rotten vegetable pizza! I already take medication for my cholesterol.
GOOGLE:
Excuse me sir, but you have not taken your medication regularly.
According to our database, you only purchased a box of 30 cholesterol tablets once,
at Drug RX Network, 4 months ago.
CALLER:
I bought more from another drugstore.
GOOGLE:
That doesn't show on your credit card statement.
CALLER:
I paid in cash.
GOOGLE:
But you did not withdraw enough cash according to your bank statement.
CALLER:
I have other sources of cash.
GOOGLE:
That doesn't show on your last tax return unless you bought them using
an undeclared income source, which is against the law.
CALLER:
WHAT THE HELL?!!!
GOOGLE:
I'm sorry, sir, we use such information only with the sole intention of helping you.
CALLER:
Enough already! I'm sick to death of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and all the others. I'm going to an island without internet, cable TV, where there is no cell phone service and no one to watch me or spy on me
GOOGLE:
I understand sir, but you need to renew your passport first. It expired 6 weeks ago.
********************************
Prayer for Genealogists

Lord, help me dig into the past
And sift the sands of time
That I might find the roots that made
This family tree of mine.
Lord, help me trace the ancient road
On which my fathers trod
And led them through so many lands
To find our present sod.
Lord, help me find an ancient book
Or dusty manuscript
That's safely hidden now away
In some forgotten crypt.
Lord, let it bridge the gap that haunts
My soul when I can't find
The missing link between some name
That ends the same as mine.
--by Curtis Woods

THE STORY TELLERS

We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors – to put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve.

To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.

We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one.

We have been called by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: tell our story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me?

I cannot say.

It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation.

It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe is called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers.

That is why I do genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones.

This poem is attributed to different authors, but it is believed to have been written in 1943, and edited by Thomas Dunn.
***********
Someday, everything will make perfect sense, so, for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, be strong, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
'Author John Mayer
***********
Father:
Thank You for each and every day You have blessed us here on earth.
Thank You for Your tender mercies.
Thank You for giving us friends and family to share joys and sorrows with.
I ask You to bless my friends, relatives, brothers and sisters and those I care deeply for, who are reading this right now.
Where there is joy, give them continued joy.
Where there is pain or sorrow, give them your peace and mercy.
Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence.
Where there is need, fulfill their needs.
Bless their homes, families, their goings and their comings.
In Jesus Name, Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."
Numbers 6 : 24-26 NKJV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was born in Darlington, Montgomery County, Indiana. I was raised on Bernard Ridge, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky.
I live in Anderson, IN, but also have a home on Bernard Ridge in KY.
My ancestors are: Stephens and Coffey (on both sides of the family), McQueary, Tarter, Wilson and, I am connected, in some way, to just about every other family in Russell Co., Kentucky
************
Sincerely, thank you, to all you wonderful geneologist who do so much research. Without you, my family "trees" would not have grown from the small acorns to the mighty oaks. You have unselfishly answered so many questions for me. I have benefited so much from your superior knowledge. May God bless every one of you.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Pl-eas-e-e, stealing an obituary from a newspaper???

The majority of obituaries are not covered by copyright laws since they are created by family members not an individual person.

The newspaper or Funeral Home cannot claim copyright.

Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.

¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥

This would be funny if it wasn't so close to the truth.
CALLER:
Is this Gordon's Pizza?
GOOGLE:
No sir, it's Google Pizza.
CALLER:
I must have dialed a wrong number. Sorry.
GOOGLE:
No sir, Google bought Gordon's Pizza last month.
CALLER:
OK. I would like to order a pizza.
GOOGLE:
Do you want your usual, sir?
CALLER:
My usual? You know me?
GOOGLE:
According to our caller ID data sheet, the last 12 times you called you ordered an extra-large pizza with three cheeses, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and meatballs on a thick crust.
CALLER:
OK! That's what I want
GOOGLE:
May I suggest that this time you order a pizza with ricotta, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and olives
on a whole wheat gluten-free thin crust?
CALLER:
What? I detest vegetable!.
GOOGLE:
Your cholesterol is not good, sir.
CALLER:
How the hell do you know?!
GOOGLE:
Well, we cross-referenced your home phone number with your medical records.
We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.
CALLER:
Okay, but I do not want your rotten vegetable pizza! I already take medication for my cholesterol.
GOOGLE:
Excuse me sir, but you have not taken your medication regularly.
According to our database, you only purchased a box of 30 cholesterol tablets once,
at Drug RX Network, 4 months ago.
CALLER:
I bought more from another drugstore.
GOOGLE:
That doesn't show on your credit card statement.
CALLER:
I paid in cash.
GOOGLE:
But you did not withdraw enough cash according to your bank statement.
CALLER:
I have other sources of cash.
GOOGLE:
That doesn't show on your last tax return unless you bought them using
an undeclared income source, which is against the law.
CALLER:
WHAT THE HELL?!!!
GOOGLE:
I'm sorry, sir, we use such information only with the sole intention of helping you.
CALLER:
Enough already! I'm sick to death of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and all the others. I'm going to an island without internet, cable TV, where there is no cell phone service and no one to watch me or spy on me
GOOGLE:
I understand sir, but you need to renew your passport first. It expired 6 weeks ago.
********************************
Prayer for Genealogists

Lord, help me dig into the past
And sift the sands of time
That I might find the roots that made
This family tree of mine.
Lord, help me trace the ancient road
On which my fathers trod
And led them through so many lands
To find our present sod.
Lord, help me find an ancient book
Or dusty manuscript
That's safely hidden now away
In some forgotten crypt.
Lord, let it bridge the gap that haunts
My soul when I can't find
The missing link between some name
That ends the same as mine.
--by Curtis Woods