Beneath the Wraps

            In November of 2016, I felt impressed to write a talk about Mother's Day.  I started my research and played around with different ideas.  May came and went and I wasn't asked to talk.  In fact, there was little mention about it even being Mother's Day.  The first speaker truly loves Mother's Day and I th i nk must have desired for a Mother's Day program.  She expressed her gratitude for Mother's Day and then went into her talk which had nothing to do with Mother's Day at all.             Perhaps the Bishop had changed the theme to spare the feelings of oh, so many who despise the holidays as it may trigger reminders of estranged relationships, imperfect relationships, non-existing relationships, or discomfort.   I realize that not everybody loves Mother's Day.   I know of several women who refuse to attend meetings on that day because of painful rem...

            There is a family history fair coming up in May.   Someone had made reference to the importance of it during our conference meeting.   Yes.   It is important.   Good hygeine is important - yearly checkups with the doctor and semi-annually for the dentist.  That doesn't mean we love doing it.            I have been rereading the autobiography of my former neighbor's mother.   She was 81 when her words were published and lived another 25 years.   She is the oldest living person that I have personally known. It has been interesting reading about the history she has lived. She enjoyed family history.               I prefer the picture taking and journal entrees over research and accumulated documents that may or may not be a distant relation. Currently, I have at least three ...

I have an ancestor named Robert Stuart Stirrat Purdie.   That's his name.   Both middle names are pronounced "Stew-ert".   My mom had told me that it was a custom (whether in the family or community is unknown) for the parents to name the child (in this case middle name) after the first visitor who calls after the baby was born.   Friends Stuart and Stirrat (whose last names are unknown to me at this time) arrived together to call upon the family - thus Robert was given two identical middle names, although different spellings.   Comes in handy when trying to piece together if various records do indeed belong with the ancestor you're trying to find.   I have not run into any juniors or seniors on either side of my family (well, not until the lines of royalty - which thus far are just names - the accuracy of their relation is also unknown.   They didn't actually use Junior and Senior but I, II, II, IV, etc.)   My grandmother wanted to name h...