First let me say, if you are just starting this journey with me, you will need to go down and read the first blog. It gives you the start of my Nightmare. This blog won't mean much to you if you don't start at the bottom, the beginning, and read up to this final installment of my In-Law Nightmare. Today, we finish the saga. The nightmare finally ends... or does it?
This nightmare has been on going, established with only a first name and an address on the 1930 U.S. Census. Genealogy can become so addictive, it can also become your WORST NIGHTMARE if you let it.
Now, on to the conclusion...
It was a Saturday evening when my in-laws arrived at our house. It was also my mother-in-law's birthday. She had had a long flight and she was tired. I was hoping that she would appreciate my gift to her, finding HER mother and giving her a last name. Her name was ISMAY DURRIN. She was born in Saratoga Springs, New York in 1913. Remember now, all I had to start search with was 'Ismay', and nothing more. That's it, just 'Ismay'. Now I had her full name, her birth date and where she was born and living. Whoa! Was this even possible? Would she be pleased?
She started asking me questions and seemed interested. So on Sunday afternoon we sat down at the kitchen table with my laptop. I showed her the burial card with all the information on it. She started questioning "WHO is this Mrs. Joseph Kehn?" I wasn't sure, but thought possibly this could be her lost sister that I never even knew had existed.
So, back on-line we went. I started searching for this woman, Mrs. Joseph Kehn when I received an e-mail from my precious new 'cousin', Roy. To my surprise, he had found a newspaper article announcing the engagement of Miss V. Weaver to Mr. Joseph Kehn. And would you believe there was even a picture along with her full name. I opened the article, with the picture, right there at the kitchen table with my in-laws looking on. You should have seen their faces, the smiles and awes were absolutely radiant. We now had a picture of my mother-in-law's sister.
As we were oohing and awing, the phone rang. I was a little upset that this ringing phone was going to interrupt this moment. This glorious moment of discovery and ecstasy. So I reached over picked up the phone and said, "Hello". The voice on the other end said, "Who am I speaking to?" Hmmmm... odd I thought, is this a solicitor? NOW? Really, come on... but I said, "This is Kevon, who am I speaking to?"
And then it happened... the moment I NEVER thought would ever occur... The voice on the other end said, "This is VERA". OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! My brain went blank... all I could think of was "where's the candid camera?", "is this really happening?". My mouth finally started working again and I asked her, "Is this
Vera ... Weaver?" and she said "YES".
Yes? Yes! It was her! Oh, My Gosh! It was her, right there on the other end of my phone. I was speaking to the woman who I never knew existed until my sister-in-law asked me to find her.
I think at that point I started shaking and just handed the phone over to my mother-in-law to talk with her sister. They spoke for a while and have traded photos and phone calls since that day in July. They are still strangers and are reacquainting themselves with one another.
I had help accomplishing something that was so impossible that we NEVER thought it would happen. A person makes a contact on the internet, looking for others that are searching for the same families. Do you take the time to reply? Maybe you should... Twice now contacts accepted have led to AMAZING results!
Don't give up, don't ignore contacts, don't stop searching, take the time, and open the email. Miracles DO happen and the next one may be yours.
The chances of success were stacked against me from day one and one contact through Ancestry.com had produced a miracle in the family. One contact had ended a nightmare...
My In-Law Nightmare!!!
