Forgotten Legacies

At some time during our lives, most of us will dream of achieving fame; almost all will fall short. But, for better or worse, we all leave a legacy for those who follow. Time erodes the knowledge of this legacy, but still it lives on in the descendants of those we touch—our stories disappear but the fractals remain as part of an infinite mosaic. Just as the archeologist recreates past cultures from skeletal fragments and pottery shards, so the genealogist recreates ancestors’ stories, from a chance sighting here, a glimpse of shadow there, chasing echoes down the corridors of time, tracking footprints across continents and oceans, until enough flesh is added to the bones. Yes, we can see them if we try! They cry out to us from the mists: “Find me. Tell my story. I was once important to someone.” The genealogist hears these cries and must answer. We really have no choice in the matter—you see, we are obsessed.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A Summer of Genealogy

I intended for this blog to be a repository for my genealogy tips, thoughts and reflections that were too lengthy to for wall posts.  The past few months have been so busy I have yet to get back to it.  But now I resolve to post a little something each week.

This June I traveled with my siblings to Sweden where we visited my mother's ancestral home.  In Lycksele and Vägsele we saw my grandparents' birthplaces.  We visited churches and historic sites in Göteborg, Stockholm, the High Coast, Umeå, Lycksele, Tärnaby and Östersund, hiking many miles each day sightseeing both cities and mountain wilderness. I met my genealogist cousin with whom I had corresponded for several years, and his parents who had originally helped my parents research my mother's ancestry.  We shared some wonderful times with this family and stored up memories to last a lifetime.  After I returned I discovered through a Facebook post that a local friend shares my ancestry.  She connected me with another Swedish cousin who sent me this photo of my ancestors John Philipson Hilduinen and his wife Hildur who walked from northern Finland ca 1670 and built the first settlement in Lycksele parish, Örträsk.



In July I gave a talk to the New York Chapter of the Wing Family of America for their annual reunion, this year held at the picturesque and historic  Inn at Dover Furnace.  My presentation included a virtual tour of nearby Wing family related sites: Old Drovers Inn, also the first town hall for the Town of Dover; the Benson Lossing home; and Wing Post Office and Store on Chestnut Ridge.  

Following the meeting we toured, in person, the Tabor-Wing House in Dover Plains (above). Some reunion goers then hiked to the Dover Stone Church (above) where Pequot Sachem Sassacus is thought to have sought refuge when pursued by the English soldiers in 1637.  Though the afternoon was exceptionally hot even for July, those who took the hike wrote to say they were very pleased to have made the effort and intended to return with other family members.  Still others drove to Pawling to visit the Oblong Meeting House and Mehitable Wing Monument on Quaker Hill, and were pleasantly surprised to find the Meeting House open for visitors.


August was a busy month!  I continued updating the web site for the National Association of Leavitt Families and collected material for our quarterly newsletter Leavitt Leaves. Lots of work this time adding reunion photos and news....this year the reunion was in Turner, ME, and I was very sorry to have missed it while traveling in Sweden.  The Dutchess County Genealogical Society had a booth at the Dutchess County Fair. Our VP of Education, Mary Ann Zatlukal did an excellent job of setting up the volunteer schedule and the displays for this event...as President I did not really have to do much except show up for my shift!  Our County Clerk joined us on opening day to help greet guests and discuss how the Courthouse records can help researchers.  

But...by far for me the most exciting family history event in August was the arrival of my first grandson, in New York City...he made his appearance in the midst of hectic times, but safely, just before Hurricane Irene.