One in Every Generation

There has to be at least one genealogy-happy person in each generation to keep the family heritage alive and growing.  I am it for my generation of Nikander children.  I have a brother, a sister and two guy cousins….NONE of which is even slightly interested in old fuzzy photos, dusty family Bibles or traipsing through cemeteries to take pictures of headstones.  I am it. (Stop rolling your eyes, Christy.)

Somewhere in my journeys I saw a beautiful photo display wall of all the the female ancestors of some such person, whom I forget the identity of at present.  It inspired me.  About eight years back I painstakingly copied all the old family photos that I could get my grubby little hands on and started a heritage scrapbook album.  But still in the back of my mind, I could see the wall of women… women who carried on family names and traditions.   Fast forward to about two years back when I found a darling oval frame with a mat that could hold seven pictures.  I envisioned my female ancestors looking out from those holes.  I brought it home, painted over the glittery silver finish with a flat off-white and hung the frame on the wall….. waiting for the photos.

The photos that I gathered were ALL the wrong size.  So the empty frame hung on my wall for years.  (yes, I know, embarrassing.)  Then I read a story from the book Welcome to the Funny Farm about a blank frame on that author’s wall… and I got things in motion once again.  On Memorial Day, this past Monday, my dear father scanned, re-sized, touched up and got my seven matronly photos to fit my framed mat.  Thanks, Dad.  In honor of dear old dad, I decided to put my Paternal Female Ancestors in the frame, being that I happened to have seven pictures.

So, yesterday I had out-patient surgery to remove some fatty lipomas from my neck, that were obviously lost and never found my backside.  So today, I finally printed the names and dates of the dear ladies and finished the eight year project. Ta Da!  I love it.  I realize what a treasure it is to have Great Great Great Grandmother pictures…. and I’m hoping and praying that someday I can give this to the solitary person in the next generation who will love and appreciate it too.  I’m thinking it might be my niece, Katelyn.  Since she was two she was fascinated with who was whose sister, mother, daughter.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  She called me once to ask what percentage of nationalities she was.  See!  I’m the only one with the valuable, treasured information for the next generation.

?#21 from My Sister’s Jar

Haven’t pulled a question out of the jar for a spell.  Thought I’d give it a whirl.

Tell about your most loved, prized possession.

Nothing came to mind right away…. then several things came to mind, but which is the MOST loved?  I’m not sure.  Here’s the top three of my most loved, prized possessions:

1.  My wedding ring.  It’s a sentimental thing.  It’s a reminder of all the better and worse times we’ve gone through over 22 years and that we’re committed to stay together.  I think I would still pick the same setting too.  I didn’t pick this one, but I told Rick that I liked marquis shaped diamonds… and he took it from there.  He done good.

2.  The Family Bible.  (Stop rolling your eyes, Christy.)  I’m the ONLY family-tree-loving member of my generation.  If it weren’t for an historian in each generation, how would the family saga live on?  The old, brown Bible was purchased in Oregon City when my great great Grandparents came across the Oregon trail.  It has several marriages and births written in it, as well as locks of hair (that’s kind of gross), and newspaper clippings.  It’s a cool piece of our family history…. from Dad’s side of the family.  (Katelyn, I’ll keep it for you, Honey.)

3.  My scrapbooks.  What more needs to be said about this one?  They are the current family history done with creative flair and thousands of dollars and hours.  We don’t get them out enough.  I keep most of them in a cabinet away from the dust, but when they do see the sunshine, all the family pours over them like it was the first time.  Makes me happy.

That’s it.  A ring and some old books.  What is your most loved, prized possession?