IT'S COMING TOGETHER

At least I think it's coming together.  My list for the family reunion is growing and I'm finding out new things.  By new things I'm finding family members I thought I'd never find.  Just a few more places to look and I've found all but one son.

It's amazing how I've been able to trace their long journey from coast to coast.  In this day and age we think nothing of it as we board a plane and fly half way around the world.  Or we jump in the car and drive for eight hours and we've gone at least 800 miles (of course that is if you have a wide open road, no cars, etc).  You get the picture.

Our ancestors thought they went a long distance when they traveled ten miles in a day.  They packed their wagons with all their possessions, hitched the team, and they were off.  Most walked beside the wagons to leave room for more of their goods.  Then you have to take in consideration there were no paved roads.  There were ruts, ravines, rivers, hills, mountains, and perhaps a robber or two, along with raiding Indians. 

If you had a broken axle or wheel you were the one that fixed it.  You couldn't phone AAA to come and replace it.  A wagon could over turn and it would take many people to turn it right side again.  Sickness was another hitch in the trip.  Family members were buried along the way.  A simple mound of rocks were placed over the loved one.  In some cases if there was any wood nearby a make shift cross was made and pounded into the ground.  Most didn't know how to read or write so no name was etched in the wood.  Only the family and God knew who was buried there.

Yet our ancestors kept coming.  Stopping only long enough to sleep and make their meager meals before setting out again the next day looking for land.  Abundant, fertile,lush land where they could build their home, raise their families, and plant their crops. 

Determination, perseverance, hard work, drive, endurance, grit, and patience were what our fore fathers were made of.  They pushed onward and settled the land so their generation could pass it on their generation and so on. 

Oh my I'm getting ahead of myself again.  I've traced most of my ancestors from New York to the Oregon coast, stopping along the way to farm, raise children, and then push on.  So here we go again.....finding more information today.

Until then......................