This week as I was looking through some of my genealogy
research and deciding where to store it all, I came across a large zippered
pouch courtesy of Foster Funeral Home in Portsmouth, Virginia. Inside was my
grandparents’ funeral “stuff”: Guest
books. Sympathy cards. Cards attached to floral remembrances. Even a warranty from the casket company. Yeah,
that’s a keeper.
I opened each wrinkled and torn envelope, and held lovely
old cards of vellum. Messages penned in blue expressed sadness and also memories
of good times. Cards once attached to sprays described the gladiolas, mums,
carnations, and other flowers sent to remind us that we were not alone in our
grief. Suddenly I was smiling.
Nostalgia? Perhaps. But I realize the names are also
clues that might advance my family research. Names grouped together indicate a possible
family connection. One person signing for another practically guarantees to
seal the deal. What’s a family historian to do? Start digging!
© 2015, Wendy Mathias.
All rights reserved.
...very clever... and just a tad mysterious. Sounds like it'll be an interesting month.
ReplyDeleteAnother Wendy here, popping clicking around from Australia to check out some other themes.Wendy at Wendy of The Rock
You can never have too many Wendys.
DeleteA Funeral Parlor AtoZ...now that is an original idea which promises to reveal some interesting information....warranty included. Wonder how that works...warranty on a casket. Who would know if it was faulty? You may become a Paranormal Genealogist. This will be fun...eral topic to dis..re..member. Yikes...I gotta stop with the word play...sorry, I apologize. I can't wait to sign the Guest Book on every Letter.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
AtoZ 2015 Challenge
AJ's wHooligans
I hope I can make some of it a bit interesting.
DeleteI have the same unusual collections of items from my parents and my maternal grandmother. I look forward to reading about what you uncover as you closely research those items & the people associated with them. Of course, I always enjoy reading your posts!
ReplyDeleteSo far it has been fun figuring out who people were.
DeleteI will look forward to your series!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll look forward to your comments.
DeleteWhat a wonderful find, and it makes an original theme for this year's challenge. I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteHope it's not morbid.
DeleteThis sounds really good to me! Thanks for putting the "Fun" in Funerals.
ReplyDeletesorry I didn't think to say that myself~
DeleteGosh Wendy, you got all the good stuff! When it comes to hand-me-downs, my genealogical cupboard is bare. I can't wait to see what you figure out and reveal over the next little while.
ReplyDeleteI fear the stories won't be that exciting but it does fascinate me to see which cousins remained close over the years.
DeleteOkay that sounds good! I'm in because I too, recently found my grandparents burial information. I also found my grandmother's birth certificate and discovered that she'd been born in Florida and where and, and, well yes, that got me wondering and set me off on an adventure that I'm not done with either. So I'll be happy to read your experiences that might closely resemble my own...Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting! Lisa co-host AtoZ2015 lisabuiecollard.com
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, Family research was a good excuse to go to Florida -- exploring the area was a must. Enjoying it was a bonus.
DeleteGreat idea! You just made me think that I could do something similar with my parents' wedding guest list.
ReplyDeleteI know you could! Will you try A to Z?
DeleteWhat a neat project! And, I'll have to read about the A to Z project. I haven't heard of it. But, guess I'll have to skip this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on this busy time in my life... I'll be back as soon as I can!
What a unique theme!
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - The crazy thing about Hungarians...
What a very interesting theme! Have fun with it!
ReplyDeletebetty