Over the span of several years, I have attempted to corroborate my family's oral tradition via census records on Ancestry.com. Not only did it prove to be true, I also discovered a missing relative. With most of my ancestors now deceased, I had abandoned hope of every locating photographs of my great great grandparents. Then, I came across the name of a cousin, only one generation removed. Out of curiosity, I googled his name followed by the word 'obit'. Up came a record in FL from a funeral home. My cousin had passed away only 2 months earlier. Perhaps he had left behind some photographs and family records. With nothing to lose, I emailed the funeral home. They said they would pass the request on to the individual handling his estate. Two weeks later, two boxes arrived, packed with albums, papers and loose photos. A note inside the box stated that my cousin did not realize he had any living relatives. In fact, the items in the box had been scheduled to be shredded on the very day my email request arrived. My hands trembled as I sifted through these pictures, looking for the oldest ones. Finally, after a lifetime of searching, I looked down at the photos of my great great grandparents. I knew the story of their personal struggle but now they looked back at me. This "treasure" might have been lost forever, were it not for the internet.
Oh WoW!
wow
Your post # 8 is a great story! Congratulations! It was a timely inspiration to contact the funeral home.
Your wonderful story gave me goosebumps.
