Surprise! It’s a long story and I won’t bore you with the details. A portion of my day—and into the wee hours of the morning—I was still “working” on the family mentioned in yesterday’s blog message. It was, indeed, a surprise to encounter this cousin.

I don’t “plan” to climb trees in the middle of the night. I went to bed at about ten but couldn’t go to sleep. Lying in bed, wide awake, is a waste of time. Therefore, a return to the computer.

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Postscript @ 11:11 AM: If you are an “old-timer” like me, you remember radio commentator Paul Harvey telling “The rest of the story.”  Here is Lorraine’s “rest of the story.”

An army of volunteers document individuals buried in cemeteries and the information is dispersed through Find A Grave. I emailed the person who photographed and published the tombstone for “Mary M. wife of John Bowman.” I asked if he could take a picture that includes the “age” information at the bottom of the tombstone. His biographical information indicates he researches many of the same surnames I research.

Armed with the name of the volunteer—John D. Moore II—I started a brand-new Ancestry search. It was like a stab-in-the-dark to ask for a name without supporting information. To my amazement, the immediate response was my own Ancestry database. “How does he ‘fit’ on my tree?”  The answer appears in the ancestry chart above. Quite possibly, the Find A Grave volunteer is the son of John Devries Moore.

I was working to accurately document another family rife with inaccurate information. Yipes, don’t “they” ever do any research? Must “they” always copy from one another? Hours ago, I turned off the TV and put the bad news out of my mind. (“They”  are other subscribers to Ancestry.com.)

Heading to bed at 3:00 AM; I’ve been “up” for twenty-two hours.

I’m horrified by the events in Afghanistan. For eleven years, I was an Army wife. I didn’t lose my husband in war but I can relate—in a small way—to the heartache of wives and mothers who lost their loved ones yesterday.

Can’t sleep; horrible images; heavy heart; crying.

Impeach the buffoon!!

As frequently stated, “This is my journal.”  I feel compelled to express myself. I’m closely following the situation in Afghanistan on FOX News. I’m distraught; I can’t stop crying. On top of grief for the horrific events, my firstborn son repeatedly sticks a knife in my heart.

“Obsessive-compulsive”  is a label I’ve hung on myself. “Climbing the family tree”  has been my escape during the Coronavirus pandemic. For the past two days, I have shunned the computer and Ancestry.com. (Computer for blog messages.) It’s 3:00 PM and I’ve been watching/listening to TV news since 5:00 AM (more than nine hours). Yesterday, conservatively, nineteen hours of TV News. This message was prompted because I’m confused by all the double-talk. Have you noticed? News commentators are understood; government agencies ‘ briefings are evasive and “double-talk.” Whom do we believe? What do we believe? ~~ I have concern for Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Yes, one report said there are a large number of former Muslims who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They are despised… and those remaining in the country will be tortured and killed. Furthermore, my heart goes out to the Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule.

Last night, wide awake and in pain, the word “celiac”  came to mind. I got out of bed and jotted the word down (before I forgot). This morning I did a Google search and “yes”  I have most of the listed symptoms. A large percentage of my diet is bread (toast and sandwiches). For seventeen months, my eating habit has been atrocious (line of least resistance). True story: “Celiac disease” was something I knew absolutely nothing about. I believe God, my Heavenly Father, whispered the word to me. HEARTFELT THANKS!! Praise the Lord!!

It’s one o’clock in the morning and, earlier, I was searching for “just the right” clipart followed by the description of the individuals. For several days, I have been researching individuals who are frustratingly inaccurately documented in Ancestry.com. Here is the message I added to their records:

Catherine Freed (born: 20 Jan 1787–died: 9 Jul 1863, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, USA) is not the spouse of Henry Garver Showalter (1787-1868). The confusion regarding the spouse appears to stem from the identical death date with Catherine Gossett (born: 20 Nov 1786–died: 9 Jul 1863, Eldorado, Preble County, Ohio, USA). ~~ Furthermore: Two men with the name Henry G. and Henry Garver Showalter and both identified with the identical birthdate of 26 Sep 1787.

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Postscript at 11:20 AM:

The following is the message sent to Find A Grave on 24 Aug 2021:

The tombstone appears to be correct for Catherine Gossett Showalter (1786-1863) but the five children listed (with tombstones) are those of Catherine Freed Showalter (1787-1863). See my Ancestry database: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/51857223/person/252124665455/facts   ~~ I’ve spent days researching these individuals and admit to the challenge of two women named Catherine married to two men named Henry Showalter. Please double-check and advise me of your resolution.

Here is a very interesting story regarding the miraculous location of family members.

“Humor me”?!

• Genealogists are always in a family way!
• Genealogists are family tree huggers!
• Genealogists are forebear hunters!
• Genealogy is not done until the “past lady” sings!
• Genealogy is simply TREEific!
• Genealogy disease: Gensomnia.
• How a genealogist greets a stranger: “Are you sure we aren’t related?”
• How a genealogist greets another genealogist. “Would you like to join my famclub?”
• How a genealogist introduces his children: “I’d like you to meet my descendants!”
• How a genealogist introduces his parents: “Have you met my ancestors?”
• I’m ancestrally challenged!
• If you want to have some fun, say “Who’s your daddy?” to a room full of genealogists and watch the heads turn.
• It’s hard to be humble with ancestors like mine!
• Money doesn’t grow on trees—but ancestors do!
• Murphy’s law of genealogy: After solving a dead end ancestor mystery that consumed your entire adult life, your sister reports, “I could have told you that!”
• Murphy’s law of genealogy: Paying for a vital record and then finding it right under your nose!
• Old genealogists never die. They just haunt archives.
• Organization to help with genealogy addiction: AA (Ancestors Anonymous).
• Popular sign in a cemetery: “Dead End.”
• The best ancestors want to be found!
• The “mother lode” of genealogy is discovering a great grandmother’s maiden name.
• Time and genealogy wait for no man!
• To a genealogist, the expression “Mother Nature” takes on a whole new meaning!
• Transcribers of headstones generally work the graveyard shift!
• True genealogists wonder why the Academy Awards don’t have a category for best microfilm!
• Ultimate success to a genealogist: Proving that Elvis isn’t dead!
• What a genealogist should not say on a blind date: “Isn’t it great? I did your tree and we’re related!”
• You know you’re a genealogist if you find the certainty of ancestral death and tax records exciting. (Paraphrased from Ben Franklin’s “Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”)
• If you think Castle Garden is something out of a fairy tale, you’re probably not a genealogist!
• More  Here is an old epitaph bromide: On an old tombstone was the following quote,
  “Pause stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now so once was I. As I am now, so you will be. So prepare for death and follow me.”  Below that epitaph, someone scratched the following, “To follow you I’m not content, Until I know which way you went.”2) Headstone epitaph: “This is the damndest thing I’ve ever done.”3) “You know you’re a genealogist when you watch a movie that has a scene in a graveyard, and you’re distracted from the plot by trying to transcribe the tombstones.”

Above copied from a website and (shame on me) I failed to record the address.

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As stated earlier (several months ago), I am “paying it forward.”  I’m intentionally expanding documentation (on Ancestry) for “cousins” who shared information decades ago. Those “cousins” are frolicking around Heaven with their ancestors while I lovingly labor here on Earth.

Rosemary has a special place in my heart. About 1987, she provided the connection to my immigrant ancestor Michael Frantz. I had my information back to a great-great-grandfather but it didn’t match documentation of descendants of Michael Frantz. Within days of initial correspondence, a reply saying my documentation was “subsequent marriage.” ~~ Rosemary is an “eighth cousin” because (like a pyramid) we go “way back” to immigrant ancestors who were brothers. In August 2000, Rosemary gave me every scrap of paper, every piece of research, trusting that I would merge it with my data. In 2017, I scanned all her paperwork and published it to the Internet. It can be found on Digitized Library of Family History.

Here’s a blog message from 2017: Inquiring minds want to know.

Below is the comment I found while examining Rosemary’s material for dates, and individuals, in her extended family.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Compiler comment: In January of 1987, Rosemary provided the
“missing link.” She immediately recognized that the difficulty
I experienced was a “subsequent marriage.” (Specifically the
two marriages of David Frantz [1817-1905], son of Michael
[1791-18601.) This dear lady has provided manilla envelopes
full of information. Every Frantz-family researcher that 1
contact has had correspondence with Rosemary. A BIG BOUQUET to
my ‘seventh cousin one time removed”!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Republished on this date because it is the date on the picture. Celebrating thirty-four years (clipart) because that long since I received the extremely valuable (to me) information.

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Postscript: An inappropriate blog message at this time. It was “scheduled”…