Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Conversations I wish I could have with dead people

This is not an original thought. I saw this on a blog some weeks ago. And I'm sure every one into genealogy wishes they could sit down with a few dead people and ask some questions.

I wish I could ask my great grandmother Katie Featherston why she named my uncle "Ester." I met my uncle Ester. I remember him as a round, pleasant man with a bright complexion. I was just a child and I never thought anything about him having a girl's name. But I do now. What was Katie thinking? All her other children had nice common names like my grandfather Freddie so I'm thinking there was a purpose to it. Did she want a girl and got my uncle instead?

I wish I could talk to Charles Featherston and find out if he loved Matilda and her children. Did the rest of the family know about them? Was he ostracized because of he was white and she was a former slave or was it accepted?

And of course great-great-great-Amy and Solomon Koonce would be special guests of my interrogation. I would finally find out who she was and what happened to her. And while I had them, I would ask about their parents too and if they were born in America or Africa.

Wouldn't it be great if the television execs could produce "Ghost Whisperers--the Genealogy Edition." It would be a hit. People would be clamoring to be on the show to solve all their genealogy mysteries.

3 comments:

Hue Reviews said...

I love it!!!! can i borrow this idea for tomorrow's blog??

I have several ancestors that I would love to interogate.

Jennifer said...

Be my guest. Like I said, it wasn't original but I know all of us family researchers would like to have that talk.

Anonymous said...

A lovely idea. My mom had a thick book called "Van Loon's Lives" about a man who invites historical people home for dinner and chats with them. I remember being transfixed by it - and the idea - all one summer!