Untold Family History in My Hands

Last fall, my father passed away at the ripe old age of 96. My mother passed away several years before. He and my mother were depression era babies and always saved....well...pretty much everything (something I've had to work hard to learn not to do). Now, I'm faced with the daunting task of clearing 60 years of "life well lived" out of my childhood home. 

I was a nosey kid. I admit it. I own it! I happily poked around and looked in boxes and closets just to see what I new treasures could find. But now, as I'm uncovering items I've never seen in my life, I'm filled with profound sadness because I'll never know the stories behind them. There's no one left to share the memories to go along with the objects,

I thought I'd seen all the family photos. Boy was I wrong! My mom had a footlocker full of albums. One of them was my maternal grandmother's side of the family. While many do have handwritten notes on them, others do not, and I may never be able to identify who they are. I've been thrilled to find photos of my grandmother as a child and to see images of my great grandparents for the first time. I was heartbroken at the image of a child less than a year old in a casket. Were it not for the heart-wrenching photo, I'd never have known my 1st cousin 1x removed even existed. I'd found no mention of him prior to discovering the photo. Now, he has a place in my family tree.

The real treasure was an envelope with my mother's handwriting "Eliza Elvira Kuhn" on it. I knew the name from my research. It was my 2nd great grandmother. Inside this seemingly innocuous envelope were two well preserved tintype photos of her. I never saw an actual tintype before. I was mesmerized at the thought I was holding something 150+ years old in my hands. 

Over time I hope to identify more ancestors and relatives and attach their images to my family tree so others can enjoy them as well. I don't mind if others save or repost the images, it's how those who came before us are able to live on. I believe genealogy is about sharing. 

I also found part of a bible from the early 1800's published in Louisiana. The condition is abysmal, but what I really want to know is how did this come to be in the family? Who held this bible? Why was it special enough it was saved all these years, even in such poor condition? I also found Confederate money from Louisiana tucked away in an old wallet. I've found no ties to the state in my research thus far, and yet, I have 2 items from the location and no clue how or why. Sadly, these are questions I will never have a complete answer to. I may find clues to the location as I research, but I will never know the story behind the items or who they belonged to.

My dad had a wonderful career working for a defense contractor. It afforded him the opportunity to travel the world. He saw places most people only dream of. As we sort through the small items tucked away in drawers and boxes, we're discovering trinkets from his travels. While he often shared memories of his travels with us, there are just so many items we never knew existed. I wish I had even the smallest stories to go along with them. And I've discovered wonderful photos of his time in the Navy during WWII. Seeing my father and mother on a beach, enjoying life as a young couple before they were married has been eye-opening. We (or at least I do) tend to think of our parents as we've always known them, but seeing them young and vibrant is an entirely different perspective.

For those of you who still have older relatives living, take the time to talk to them. Hear their stories. Ask questions. Let them get the far away look as they tell you all about their past. Laugh and cry with them. Embrace what they have to offer you. Write it down, or record it. Don't find yourself in my position where you have so much untold family history in your hands.

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
Original tintype photos of Eliza Elvira Kuhn are in my possession