Somber Sunday

Posted on August 23, 2020 by vanbraman

Today has been a somber day.

California wild fires, red sky, smoky sky, red tinged cloudsPart of it is the dark skies today. It seems like a day when it will rain at any moment. However, the sky is dark because of smoke from the wildfires in the area.

Fire outlines, SCU Lightning Complex Fires, California, Livermore HillsThere have been some scattered rain storms that just seem to be missing our area. It looks like perhaps some thunderstorms may pass through later tonight. The rain would be welcome, but I hope that the lightning will not start any new fires.

Bible Camp in Iowa - Kamp Keoma - Bible Class at camp - Old Time Bible CampAlso, yesterday was the funeral of a family friend who I have always associated with Bible Camps, so this has added to the somberness of today.

Stalking Horse Bidder - Hostess Brands - Dolly Madison - TwinkiesBut, I think the largest contributor to the somberness of the day is that I learned this morning of the passing of a friend from my school days. I found out just as the second on-line service I attended this morning started and I was distracted throughout the entire service. So many memories came flooding back. She was the little sister of one of my best friends in school. He passed away only a few years back shortly after the large wildfires in Kansas. I had been thinking of her family earlier this week because of the fires here.

Walter J. Black Editions, Zane Grey, Books, WesternsMy thoughts also wandered to horses and Westerns and many other memories of spending time with the family of my friend. They lived on a small ranch and I would go out to visit them. One memory I have is trying to learn how to drive a truck so that my friend could load bales of hay while I moved the truck forward. I must have been about 12 or 13 at the time.

So many memories….

Many prayers are needed for people to be safe from the fires and for the families of my friends who have lost loved ones.

Steven

 

 

 

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Roots Less Traveled

Posted on August 22, 2020 by vanbraman

This afternoon I discovered a Genealogy show that I hadn’t seen before. I am not sure how I missed it, but it has a neat format.

roots less traveled, ancestry, NBC, geneaologyThe show is called Roots Less Traveled and is sponsored by Ancestry.com. The show aired on NBC and had eight episodes in the season.

I like the twist on the phrase and the logo for the show.

In the show two family members take to the road along with Faruq Tauheed to visit where some of their ancestors lived and to learn more about them.

I got to thinking about what would interest them in my ancestry if I was on the show.

I then started to realize that in a way what I have been doing with my Virtual Hike is a similar virtual version of the show.

I have been virtually visiting some of the places where my ancestors lived as I virtually hike across the country.

The Merc, Mercantile, Kenton, Oklahoma, John DuncanIn the beginning of my Virtual Hike many of the places did not have any family connections. However as I made it to the central part of the country I started to focus on places where family had lived.

The first example was Kenton, Oklahoma where some of my Grandma’s cousins lived.

See: Virtual Hike to Kenton, Oklahoma

Cochran, Hays, Kansas, Tomb StoneAs I made it to Hays, Kansas I really started thinking about how I should center on family places as I crossed the country and I started to do more research about the ancestors that lived at different places along the way.

Migration, East to West, Rowe FamilyNot long after virtually visiting Hays, Kansas I wrote the post A Virtual Hike Idea and started planning my route. I have made some deviations from this route to include other family branches, but will soon be writing about the arrival in New Milford.Death Notice, Lorenzo Dow Cochran, Hays Kansas, Harvester

Often after visiting a spot on the Virtual Hike I have also been prompted to do even more research. An example is a follow-up post to the Hays stop titled Cochran Clippings Found.

verona new york, cape vincent, braman familyI have even been doing more research about the last stop in Verona, New York and already have more things I want to write about. One of my ancestors who lived there died in a local Typhus epidemic, and I have also found some interesting family connections.

Even though I am nearing the end of what I had planned the Virtual Hike will most likely continue with an emphasis on places where my ancestors lived.

Now to get a few more steps down the virtual road before bedtime. Unfortunately the air is too unhealthy to go for a long walk outside.

Steven

 

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