My feelings are in each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as it were by our genes. Those who have gone before us cry out to us: Tell our story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors "you have a wonderful family, you would be proud of us"? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are the bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, to tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of storytellers. That is why I do my family genealogy and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones. Kevin Morgan

Perfectly said. Jennifer (Sullivan, Reed, Mullins, Davis, Bailey) >From: Kevin Morgan <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [TNCANNON] Our Ancestors >Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 06:30:34 -0800 (PST) > >My feelings are in each family there is one who seems >called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their >bones and make them live again, to tell the family >story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. > >To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of >facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have >gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. >All tribes have one. We have been called as it were by >our genes. > >Those who have gone before us cry out to us: Tell our >story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow find >ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and >cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told >the ancestors "you have a wonderful family, you would >be proud of us"? How many times have I walked up to a >grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I >cannot say. > >It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who >am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to >seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds >and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. >The bones here are the bones of my bones and flesh of >my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. > >It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to >accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. >It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, >their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness >to go on and build a life for their family. > >It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and >keep us a nation. It goes to a deep and immense >understanding that they were doing it for us. That we >might be born who we are. That we might remember them. >So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact >of their existence, because we are them and they are >us. > >So, as a scribe called, to tell the story of my >family. It is up to that one called in the next >generation to answer the call and take their place in >the long line of storytellers. > >That is why I do my family genealogy and that is what >calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on >the bones. > >Kevin Morgan > > >==== TNCANNON Mailing List ==== >Stop by & visit the Cannon Co. Genealogy and History website at... >http://www.tngenweb.org/cannon/ > >============================== >Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the >last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >

Kevin, That was beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Kristi Moffitt

Kevin, Did you write that? Jennifer >From: Kevin Morgan <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [TNCANNON] Our Ancestors >Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 06:30:34 -0800 (PST) > >My feelings are in each family there is one who seems >called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their >bones and make them live again, to tell the family >story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. > >To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of >facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have >gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. >All tribes have one. We have been called as it were by >our genes. > >Those who have gone before us cry out to us: Tell our >story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow find >ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and >cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told >the ancestors "you have a wonderful family, you would >be proud of us"? How many times have I walked up to a >grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I >cannot say. > >It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who >am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to >seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds >and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. >The bones here are the bones of my bones and flesh of >my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. > >It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to >accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. >It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, >their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness >to go on and build a life for their family. > >It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and >keep us a nation. It goes to a deep and immense >understanding that they were doing it for us. That we >might be born who we are. That we might remember them. >So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact >of their existence, because we are them and they are >us. > >So, as a scribe called, to tell the story of my >family. It is up to that one called in the next >generation to answer the call and take their place in >the long line of storytellers. > >That is why I do my family genealogy and that is what >calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on >the bones. > >Kevin Morgan > > >==== TNCANNON Mailing List ==== >Stop by & visit the Cannon Co. Genealogy and History website at... >http://www.tngenweb.org/cannon/ > >============================== >Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the >last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >

That was a poem by an unknown author. All my hand written poems start with " Get Er Done ". Kevin