6 until .... 7 Days of Grace

God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them. God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good.There was evening and there was morning:

the sixth day. (Genesis 1)

So - I hope I can paint this picture for you ....

*I had my DNA results and had a potential first cousin.  Even though JW felt like we were probably 2nd cousins - I quickly learned that ruling out family members was the best place to start.  So if JW thought we were 2nd cousins - then I was going to eliminate his family.  I did not have any ancestral information from JW.  On the Ancestry website members do not have to connect their family and you don't have to reveal.  It is a needle in a haystack.  I had a couple of needles (like I have a double 2nd cousin that I found - that information helped.)

Note:  maybe it is good thing that Clue was one of my favorite games growing up!!!

*I had my redacted adoption file from Hope Cottage.  At this point I knew that the information about my birth parents was detailed and accurate.  In that information I knew the ages of both parents and both sets of grandparents at the time of my birth.

*JW also shared that he is a preacher.  I found his church and started looking to find anything relating to his family.  It was snooping at its finest.  I would like to say I am sorry - but you know really I am not!!!  Eventually I found an obituary of JW's grandmother (Lucille West Witt - see previous post but this is my grandmother).  That obituary was GOLD.

Go read an obituary sometime of someone you don't really know - it is remarkable what you can learn about a person.  Just this morning I listened to a church service and the speaker talked about our stories.  He said that is the way we relate to each other - we have to share our stories.  Sharing our stories is how this humanity fulfills what He called us to do.  Share.  Share.  Share.

The obituary was found late on a Sunday night in February.  I began reading and we wrote down the names of Lucille's children.  We figured out that Lucille & Roy were 12 years apart - their birth years matched with what we felt like they should be based on our information from Hope Cottage.

I was so full of hope - we were thinking we were fixing to find either my mother.

Also in that information from Hope Cottage ....

6

My maternal grandparents had 6 children.

As I am reading that obituary - Survivors are ..... I was fairly certain which one was JW's father.  I started writing names - getting more and more excited.  But wait - there are only 5 children that survived Lucille.

I know tears came to my eyes.  We were so close.  JW must be right - 2nd cousins ...

It was late and I know my shoulders just dropped and I almost closed the computer - put up the marker board to call it an evening.  Then something popped in my head and I read the entire obituary again.

Preceded in death ... there was the 6th child - Lucille was preceded in death by a daughter.

I asked Kerry if he thought it really could be true - did we find my birth mother...  We had all the numbers correct - everyone fit into place.  But really - could I have possibly found her???

Note:  Kerry was willing to bet the gun safe.  I am married to an avid hunter and one that would never bet the gun safe on anything!!!

I cannot believe that Grandmother Witt left earth just a little over 2 years ago.  But that obituary changed my life.  As a mother taking care of her children - she continued even 2 years after she left earth.

Those obituaries and cemeteries tell our stories.  Ones that maybe we have told before but certainly ones for others to find.  One more find in the obituary / cemetery treasures (why this was found is for another day) but ...

March 6th ...

The day Lucille gave birth to her 2nd daughter.  That daughter who gave me life.

She gave birth to 4 boys too along with the daughter who is gone before.

Such a legacy...

7 Days of Grace

6 days until I am in Tennessee

6 children

6 to Love

Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.