Linda, You got that right!!!!! How wonderful our families are and to be in a small town too. My family were farmers also. Worked hard to make a living and my sister and I worked on the farm too. No boys at out house. I'm glad of our country values and the love of our parents. Blessings to you, Marian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Trent" <lindatrent@zoomnet.net> To: <OHGALLIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 9:27 PM Subject: [OHGALLIA-L] "The Mail" > Hi Guys, > > I got a rather sad thing in the mail the other day. It came out of the AARP > magazine, May/June 2005, p. 8 "The Mail" Somebody, I assume it was my > sister, had circled a portion of one of the letters to the editor. The > circled portion read... "I wish that instead of spending so much time > studying deceased ancestors, my mom had spent more time creating memories > with her living descendants." > > I swung by Mound Hill this afternoon on my way home from town, and stopped > by my paternal grandparents grave. I drive over to their gravesite about > once maybe twice a month and just sit there and reflect on life and other > things. Today I caught myself being quite poetic and thinking how my > ancestors aren't famous, there are no buildings named after them, no city > parks, or anything like that. They were just good honest hard working > Gallia county farmers. And I thought about how all that I am and all that I > have to look forward to is because of them! By looking backward and seeing > where we were, shows us how far we've come and how far we can yet progress! > > The genealogical bug bit my parents and myself some 34 years ago. My father > and mother were proud of their ancestors and taught me about them, and > stirred in me a love and a devotion to those who made me what I am today. > My father served in the military, not because he chose to, but because it > was the right thing to do (plus he had a draft notice waiting at home for > him <g>). He taught me what it means to be an American, an Ohioan, and a > Gallia Countian. (We didn't even live in Gallia County at that time, but he > was born here, and he was darn proud of that fact). I remember spending > countless hours at the courthouse and going through all the records as we > frantically tried to prove our lineage to FF of GC, but alas we came up > empty and my father passed away unable to fulfill that dream. I'm still > carrying that torch! > > But those countless hours are something that I've treasured over the years. > Something my parents made into a treat, something I looked forward to doing > as often as we could. My father was an executive in a plastic pipe plant > and was away from home quite a bit, but the memories that he and my mother > have left with me are fond memories of learning about our country, family > and learning as much about my ancestors through them as I could. > > Here's to the past, the present and the future! Without our history we are > nobody. > > Sorry to ramble, and I'm sorry to take up space here, but I just had to vent > to someone who would truly understand. > > Thank you, > > Linda Tope Trent > lindatrent@zoomnet.net > > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== > Check the address you are replying to before sending your message. >