I could never throw a Bible away or a photograph or even hundreds of old postcards I have that once belonged to someone else. I'm just an old packrat. Frank Packer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gwen Mecum Hunt" <airlaunch@thegrid.net> To: <PABRADFO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2000 3:29 PM Subject: [PABRADFO] What about all these old mementos? > > This made me think: Are we doing all we can to preserve and distribute our > many hours of toil on our genealogy research? Before it's too late.....? > Gwen Mecum Hunt > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > [Source and/or original author unknown] > > 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 kids 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 old folks to the dumpster. > An old family Bible from the 1840's 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 the 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 of the very nice Elvis paintings 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 Fathers and 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 grandfathers evening with > Jefferson Davis when he was on the run. There are 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 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > GWEN MECUM HUNT > airlaunch@thegrid.net > Templeton, CA > Searching every nook and cranny for ancestors: > Tri-Counties area: > > BAKER, BRINK, FORBES, FRENCH, GROVER, > HAYDEN, HORTON, JONES, KNOWLES, LLOYD, > MANNING, MECUM, MYERS, SMITH, SKINNER, > SWARTOUT, WILLIAMS, WILSON et al... > > Proud to be a Rootsweb Sponsor! > Check out my Rootsweb WorldConnect website: > http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=mecum1 > > > >