All My Ancestors

At 10:00 Wednesday morning I went to the funeral of a dear friend. The memorial service was here in Oklahoma City in a big air-conditioned church with a pipe organ and rituals and attendants in their suits.
The committal service was 5 hours later and 156 miles north–in a small-town country cemetery. It was [...]

First time library customer who is reading a newspaper on microfilm: “How long does this take? I’ve been here for two hours and I’m still not through!”
Me: “Well, it can take a lifetime.”

I recently listened to one of Dick Eastman’s podcasts. He’s been the guru of technology for genealogists and a reliable reviewer of various genealogy publications for years in his terrific online newsletter. The newsletter that was initially delivered via email has morphed into a blog http://blog.eogn.com/, and lately he’s resurrected his dj skills and [...]

Today I came across the name of a lawman in Ottawa County–Evilsizer. It would only be more appropriate a name if it were Evilseizer.
Close enough.

I learned a lot from my Dad. He was the repository of surprising information and beliefs.
I wish I would have inherited his ability to let things go and to seemingly not worry about life. Sometimes I thought he was a little too fatalistic, but maybe that’s what comes from being a farmer in [...]

I’ve been looking again at my 4th great-grandfather, Merriman Landrum. Depending on the source, Merriman was born in Union County, South Carolina, in 1774 or 1784–some sources say at the time of the Revolutionary War and other say at the end of that war. He married Delilah Jackson in 1805, and the year [...]

I think all families have stories about bathrooms and underwear. And they’re nearly always told with a grin.
Today we were leaving work and I stopped by the bathroom on the way out. I caught up with my colleagues at the elevator and of course comments ensued. But it reminded me to tell [...]

Yesterday I stopped in at the neighborhood Braum’s store to avail myself of their produce section. I love that there’s a mini grocery store in Braum’s now. As I was checking out, the clerk asked me if I had received my free ice cream scoop. I had not and since I was [...]