Lost And Found

As I was growing up, I heard stories about these mysterious Civil War papers that belonged to one of my paternal ancestors.  For someone who was obsessed with learning about the Civil War, it was very tantalizing.  My paternal aunt had them, but I had never seen them.  After she died, it was thought that they were lost forever.  But, after her husband died, I found them.  They were stored with some other papers that belonged to her.  What a find!  At first I was a little disappointed because they were copies of the actual papers, but once I started reading them, I was amazed at all of the information that they contained.

The papers belonged to my paternal third great-grandfather.  One announced his appointment to sergeant and the other was his discharge paper.  Where do I start?  I want to go line by line, fact by fact, and dig into every detail.  He was in Company I of the 215th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers and was promoted to Sergeant 12 days after the end of the Civil War.  He was discharged at Fort Delaware just over three months after that.  He was born in Omar, Ireland.  He was 30 years old when he was discharged from the army.  He stood five feet, seven inches tall.  He had a light complexion, blue eyes, and black hair.  He was a welder by trade.

And then the questions.  What role did he play in the Civil War?  How many battles did he fight, if any?  What did he do to get promoted to Sergeant?  Why was he discharged at Fort Delaware, an island that housed Confederate prisoners?  Why did he come to the United States from Ireland?  Where did he work as a welder?

It looks like I have a lot of digging to do.

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken in the home of his maternal aunt in Galena, Maryland in 2000.  He was always ready with his camera.  At the time this photo was taken, he was 45 years old.

James Odgers
1954 - 2007

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle striking a goofy pose in the home of his maternal aunt in Galena, Maryland in 2000.  He was 45 years old.

James Odgers
1954 - 2007

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken in the home of his maternal aunt in Galena, Maryland in 2000.  He was 45 years old.

James Odgers
1954 - 2007

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken in his living room in New Castle, Delaware in the 1970s.  I wonder what was in the bag.

James Odgers
1954 - 2007

Remember the Living

While working on a family tree, it's so easy to get wrapped up in how far back one can trace their ancestry.  We would all like to know if we have roots dating back to the colonial days and from which country did our ancestors emigrate, if at all.  There seems to be a deep-rooted need in some of us to know where we come from, like it defines who we are today.  But sometimes that leads us to overlook the obvious - those family members who are right here with us today.  How many times

have I said, "I wish I had asked...while so-and-so was still alive?"

That's why it is so important to record EVERYTHING.  Get your family together as much as possible.  Get photos of everyone when you can.  Ask those questions you have.  Keep all those birth announcements, graduation announcements, wedding invitations.

Recording family history that is happening now may be more important than researching the past.  One day our great-grandchildren will be thankful that we did.

High School Keepsakes

I love when I come across keepsakes, something little that holds some sentimental value to a family member who is no longer with us.  This is a great example.  My paternal uncle kept his high school cafeteria pass and his high school Driver Education Certificate.  They must have been a reminder of some good times he had in high school.  For someone like me, it gives a glimpse into my family member's life.