Oh dear, It is amusing but I would hope I never recieve a letter like that one. It would be a mightmare. JoAnne ----- Original Message ----- From: "muriel m davidson" <muriel_davidson@sympatico.ca> To: <can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com> Cc: "Doug Joudrey" <fish2002@shaw.ca> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 10:58 AM Subject: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] Genealogy! > "A genealogists nightmare" [from CAN-MARITIME-LIFE@rootsweb.com] > > [ I found this "letter" on my computer the other day; I know it came > from a mailing list many years ago, but still find it amusing. ] > > > Dear cousin, > > In response to your letter, I am sorry to inform you that grandpa > "Fred" died some time back and the stuff you asked about is not > available. The personal property the family did not want was sold at an > Estate sale. All those boxes of junk did not interest a single buyer. > We were able to salvage several binders for the kid's homework after we > sent all the paper to the incinerator. The kids really complained about > having to lug all that paper and pictures of those ugly folks to the > dumpster. An old family Bible from the 1840'a did bring $5.00. The one > from the 1870's did not sell. There also was a bunch of floppy disks > that we were able to reformat and download some games for the kids to > play on their new playstation. At least SOMEBODY got some good from the > three generations' work. I saw fellow at a flea market a couple of > weeks ago and he said he threw the Bible in the trash after nobody was > interested in it. He said he got an offer for fifty cents for it, but > would rather burn it than give it away. He seemed to be having a lot of > success with some very nice Elvis painting at his booth. > > The two aunts you asked about are also dead. They were such a delight > and could talk all day long about the things papa had written about. I > remember them saying something about some records that were copied from > two courthouses that later burned. Neither ever wrote down a single > thing. The letter you referred to was one he typed up and sent to lots > of folks who wrote him. He laughed about them never getting any of his > hard work as well as his Father's and about his Grandfather who was in > the Civil War. He guarded all the information carefully to the bitter > end. I wish I could remember some of the things to help you, but I was > bored to tears listening to them talk about the family members who were > in the Civil War and those silly pieces of paper he showed so proudly. > I vaguely remember they had some beeswax seals and something to do with > the land grants that were destroyed in the courthouse fires. I wish I > could remember the story about his grandfather's evening with Jefferson > Davis when he was on the run. There were also some very juicy stories > that were handed down, but I don't remember them very well. Another > thing I remember after he got sick was some fellow calling him and he > agreed to let him come down and copy all his material. He told him he > would call him back when he felt better. Papa mentioned something about > letting the society the man was from have all his work since nobody in > the family cared anything about a bunch of people who had been dead for > 200 years. Papa died the next week. I am so sorry papa and the two > generations wasted so much of their life on such worthless hobbies and > hope your family will follow something more interesting. > > We enjoy Bingo and bowling very much here in Pleasantville. I really > enjoyed hearing from a long-lost cousin and would like to hear back if > you find anything important. The kids need the computer for their games > and I need to watch the "Millionaire" show. > > Thank you, Cuz, Tammy Jean > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CAN-ONT-SIMCOE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Muriel, that has happened so often! My mother had a clipping about her Grandfathers shipwreck ordeal in November 1891 in Thunder Bay. She said she was throwing it away because his name wasn't mentioned! Only the Captain and his wife were mentioned! I wasn't doing genealogy then. Fortunately my cousins recalled the name of the boat <N. P. Goodell>. Their father had requested a copy of the clipping from the library. Now I have a copy and thanks to online found much more information on the ordeal beyond the little snippet that had been put in our local paper. She also had a quite indepth article on a local Civil War Veteran who, to the best of my recall, had died. All I recall for sure was his name was Theodore but his surname has long gone! I recall a picture of him in the article, with his Union hat on. Since I've been hunting, I have a "possible" of who he may have been, but I sure wouldn't bet my life on it!! Thank Heaven for the museums and libraries that will take "that junk"!! However FIRST you have to have someone in the family that realizes they have a gold mine of information. That's why it should be mentioned in Wills on what the owner would like to have happen to it all. Ruth

I have had something in my possession for years which I assumed had belonged to one of my grandmothers. It is a tiny book of poetry about the size of your middle finger, with 276 pages of print. Names have been written inside the covers front and back and short notes have been scribbled, with a date of 1857 and the location of Rockville, Indiana. How this happened to work its way into my hands I will never know - my ancestors were located in Ontario, arriving there about 1840, and to the best of my understanding they did not travel to USA in those early years. Neither did my grandparents or parents in their lifetimes. I have done some online research and found info on the family mentioned and am waiting to hear from someone in Rockville. Without the computer and the various blessings of Google, this little book would have gone to the Salvation Army. Instead, it will likely end up in the hands of a descendant in Indiana who will be delighted to see the handwriting of their ancestor. Cheers! Doreen PS - and if they don't want it, well - there's always eBay - lol! _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live Hotmail with drag and drop, you can easily move and organize your mail in one simple step. Get it today! www.newhotmail.ca?icid=WLHMENCA153