Thanks, Deanna, that was great -- actually 5 of the "laws" apply to our family. Wouldn't you know it!!! Have a great day, Ron & Jan Ross [email protected] Searching LYKINS, ONEY, AMYX, ROSS, REYNOLDS, CHEEK, LANGLEY, DAVIS, TAYLOR, and many, many more! -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 11:12 AM Subject: MURPHY'S LAW FOR GENEALOGISTS >Sorry if this is old stuff for you veterans, but I thought it might be fun for >those who have never seen it before. >Deanna > >Murphy's Law for Genealogists >>> *The public ceremony in which your distinguished ancestor participated and >>> at which the platform collapsed under him turned out to be a hanging. >>> *When at last after much hard work you have solved the mystery you have >>> been working on for two years, your aunt says, "I could have told you >>> that". >>> *Your grandmother's maiden name that you have searched for, for four >>> years, was on a letter in a box in the attic all the time. >>> *You never asked your father about his family when he was alive because >>> you weren't interested in genealogy then. >>> *The will you need is in the safe on board the Titanic. >>> *Copies of old newspapers have holes occurring only on the surnames. >>> *John, son of Thomas, the immigrant whom your relatives claim as the >>> family progenitor, died on board ship at age 10. >>> *Your great grandfather's newspaper obituary states that he died leaving >>> no issue of record. >>> *The keeper of the vital records you need has just been insulted by a >>> another genealogist. >>> *The relative who had all the family photographs gave them all to her >>> daughter who has no interest in genealogy and no inclination to share. >>> *The only record you find for your great grandfather is that his property >>> was sold at a sheriff's sale for insolvency. >>> *The one document that would supply the missing link in your dead-end >>> line has been lost due to fire, flood, or war. >>> *The town clerk to whom you wrote for the information sends you a long >>> handwritten letter which is totally illegible. >>> *The spelling of your European ancestor's name bears no relationship to >>> its current spelling or pronunciation. >>> *None of the pictures in your recently deceased grandmother's photo album >>> have names written on them. >>> *No one in your family tree ever did anything noteworthy, owned property, >>> was sued, or was named in wills. >>> *You learn that your great aunt's executor just sold her life's >>> collection of family genealogical materials to a flea market dealer >>> "somewhere in New York City." >>> *Ink fades and paper deteriorates at a rate inversel proportional to the >>> value of the data recorded. >>> *The 37-volume, 16,000-page history of your county of origin isn't >>> indexed. >>> *You finally find your great grandparent's wedding records and discover >>> that the brides' father was named John Smith. >>> > >