Genealogy is not of
universal appeal, but I am attracted to
it.
I received this about
genealogy and was impressed that it
recognized that genealogist are a
special breed.
"The Story
Tellers.....
We
are the chosen.
My feelings are 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 as it were, 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. (For we
without them cannot be made perfect.)
So, as a scribe 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 my family genealogy,
and that is what calls those young and
old to step up and put flesh on the
bones."
(Unknown Author)
My
Genealogy:
"The
Lester Family of Deep Creek
Boulevard," by Jerry C. Lester
(on jerrylester.com), also on RootsWeb
"The Lester Family of
Floyd County and Montgomery County" by Marguerite Tise (on
jerrylester.com), also on RootsWeb
The
John Lester cemetery, 1825 (on
RootsWeb), also on
jerrylester.com
Jerry
Lester data on Roots Web-World
Connect Project—Entire data
file, including Turney
Jerry
and Bettie Turney Lester Genealogy
in a pedigree format—very
complete, with pictures
A
Reminisce With Marguerite Tise -
Voice recording segments from the trip
through the area of Little River in
late Summer 1997.
James
Curtis Lester Navy Photo Album -
1932 -1938
Isa
Ellen Lester Memoirs, 1896-1980
- Very interesting account of life at
the turn of the 20th Century and the
workings of a farming family.
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