by: Rootsmeister
It was in the late 1970s and I was married with two children. I never really gave it much thought -- about the family (history) that is . . . until the major TV event of the decade which entralled my wife and me.
We eagarly anticipated each episode and cast aside home tasks so that we could enjoy the show. This was in the days when we had to watch a TV show when it aired, not like today where we time-shift most shows and watch them at our convenience.
Also, we did not have the luxury of having an inventory of shows to watch over and over if we chose nor could we invite others over to see the show if they had missed it.
When the series ended -- we wanted more.
So, we read the book as well and marveled over how it was written and researched. I came to the conclusion that -- yes -- I could do that . . . meaning the research and hopefully later writing the story.
Thirty-five years later I am still doing the research. I was totally convinced that I should do it when -- I was in Salt Lake City on business and in the evening decided to visit the LDS Genealogical Library.
I was met as I entered the library . . .
The person asked if I would like any assistance. I replied that I wanted to do my family history. They asked me what I knew about the family.
The farthest back that I knew was my dad's father.
They asked me where my Grandfather was born and I replied -- Wisconsin. They said well then we'll take you to the "Wisconsin" section.
They took me upstairs (it was the previous library) and brought me to a rack filled with reference type books.
Then they asked if I knew in what county he was born. I replied -- Monroe County.
They then lead me to a section and told me these were books about Monroe County. At random they pulled a book from the shelf.
I opened it . . .
. . . and there was a picture of my Grandfather in a group of children in a one-room schoolhouse.
I could hardly believe it -- I hurried outside to call my father (living in those days in Florida) to tell him of the great find.
My father, after hearing the story and that I was going to delve into our family history replied -- why would you want to do that?
I now felt that he was hiding something -- and I wanted to find out just what.
So, after 35 years of researching, I have NOT found anything that my father may have thought should have remained hidden.
Sadly though I have found many things that he (and my mother) would have loved to have known about the family.