sandraleecleary

I’m totally exhausted! I’ve accumulated stacks of paper, loads of names, dates, places, and I’m still not any closer to finding my biological father.

I know I’m in the right vicinity, place if you will, but just can’t quite hit the mark. I have three people listed on my DNA with the same great, great, grandparents. Two are listed as my third cousins and the third is a fourth cousin. All of the people I’ve traced live in Iowa, close to the Minnesota border. My mother lived in southern Minnesota. Someone had to cross the state line!

Anyway, it’s time to sit back, take a break, let my mind rest, then tackle it again. That will leave more time for me to finish my novella. I’m so close. It’s at the editors. I’m finishing up the last two chapters and it’s finished. It’s only taken me about four years…….oh my!

The novella could have been finished earlier but yes, I let the DNA search push it to the back burner. Once you start tracing history, or at least once I start tracing history, I get lost. I put blinders on and I see nothing but names, places, dates. The why did they go here or there. It’s fascinating. Intriguing. Adventurous.

Another big project is trying to put together my husband’s ancestry. Most of it is done, to a point, then putting it in book form. Whew…..I have so much paper. I should have taken out stock in paper and ink!

So I really do need to get to work. More later.

Until then………………….

Yesterday I had the privilege to visit with a dear friend I hadn’t seen in thirty years. Even then, thirty years ago, our visit was only about an hour and we had to part.

I should start with sixty seven years ago. That is almost, and I really mean, almost all my life. When I think about all those years, it boggles my mind. How could that have happened? It seemed like only yesterday I was saying goodbye to my friend as our car headed north. My dad had been resigned to Fort Drum, New York.

My parents were married in 1946 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dad, who had been in the Army during WWII and had been discharged, decided he liked the steady pay check. So he signed up again. His orders were cut for Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He left immediately to wait for his family, which now included a wife and two children.

Mom boarded the troop train with two small children and headed toward Kentucky. When she arrived she was greeted by Dad’s sergeant telling her his orders had been changed to Cumberland Army Depot outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. So we boarded the train again and headed to Harrisburg.

When I think back on this I am reminded of how God’s plan was put in motion on that day Mom got back on the train and headed east. He is the one who knows where His children need to be and places them there for a reason. After all these years I still don’t know the reason, but that’s alright. He must be using me some how and only He knows. My trust and faith is in him.

I’m reminded of the verse in Mark 9:50. “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”

When I left Pennsylvania my friend and I vowed to write to each other. I was seven years old. She was eight. From that time on we lived our lives through our letters, graduation, getting married, having children, and everything that goes on from there. We exchanged pictures of our families, our homes, our dreams, and our sorrows. All through out those sixty some years.

Last night we were able to spend a couple of hours together and it was like we had just seen each other last week. We picked up where we left off. From those two little girls to two elderly women sporting white hair, and a few extra pounds, we were still those two little girls all over again.

Our friendship will go on until we are called to our heavenly home where we will take up where we left off. Praise God.

A half a century sounds so long. Fifty years, but here it is. Fifty years I’ve been trying to figure out the who, what, where, and when of my parentage. I know who my mother is but up to my sixtieth birthday I thought my biological father was one man only to find out my mother had an affair and through the affair she had a child, which is me.

In her divorce papers the man was named and I searched for ten years to finally disqualify him as my father. Not until his daughter came forth and had her DNA done did I find out he was not the one. I will forever be in her debt for helping me. But now it’s back to the drawing board.

I’ve had to sit back and go back to the beginning of the matches in my DNA. Since I do not have a name to work with I’ve been grasping at straws. Of course, none of the names look familiar. So here is what I’ve come up with.

Only look at the very close cousins like the 2nd through the 5th. When you start to look at anyone further out than that it can get mind boggling and you can get frustrated very quickly. I have!

So, here is what I have. It’s two 3rd cousins that share the same great, great, great grandparents. They came from Pennsylvania and moved to Iowa. That’s a start. Iowa is close to Minnesota where I was born and Iowa is where my mother’s parents were from. And now I have a 4th cousin that is also sharing that same grandparent. My conclusion, right now anyway, is that is probably the link to look at, very closely.

My dilemma though, is I thought I was looking for the name of Waverly (last name) a soldier from Waterloo. The common last name listed with these cousins is Mattocks. I have to list every child and who they married to see if I come up with a Waverly. I’m working my fingers to the bone, not to mention my brain! And the eyesight needs to take a rest from the bright glare of the computer! But I will trudge onward. I will overcome. Or something like that.

Until then…………………….

Laundry is done. Yard is mowed. Hedges are trimmed. Doggie stuff picked up. Now back to genealogy. I have a new match in Ancestry as a 3rd to 4th cousin. My brother does not have this person. YEA! Must be my father’s side. Did I mention my brother and I have the same mother but not the same father?

This is the closest match so far. So I’ve been taking every name this person has listed and trying to find someone who may have a link to my mother. One good thing most of his names (people) lived in Iowa. How much closer to Minnesota can you get without living in Minnesota!

But, so far no one has the last name of WAVERLY. Still looking for Junior Waverly. This guy is very elusive. In fact the last name of Waverly is hard to pin down. I might find a whole family in the 1870 census then never to be found again. Did the flu epidemic wipe them all out? Was there a flood? Your guess is as good as mine.

Waverly must have been special to my mother for her to have several pictures of him, even taking a trip with him to Colorado.

I must get my 20 minutes of writing on my novel in today then I will be able to check names again in genealogy. The novel WILL get finished soon. I’m so close to the end. I’ve become quite attached to Katie. Katie is a Native American girl that survived the Black Hawk War in 1832.

Let me tell you why Katie is important to me. While searching for my father I came across a name that crossed my mother’s path, in fact in the divorce papers his name was mentioned as having an affair with my mother and she had a child from that affair. The divorce papers stated the date as mine. So while looking for his person I found out his great grandmother was Katie. When I read the newspaper article on how she survived the massacre and was adopted by a farmer and his wife, I knew I had to write her story. I had to be her voice.

The sad part, the man is not my father, and Katie is not my great, great, grandmother. But, by the time I found out I fell in love with her. So, the novel means a lot to me.

Now moving on with DNA and following up on this new lead. My 3-4th cousin. Will keep you posted.

Until then…………………………

I love going on vacation. The sight seeing, meeting new people, and enjoying the cuisine of different places. But, alas, like all good things it must come to an end. Then I’m back to the daily grind, plus playing catch up.

My hubby and I just returned from a wonderful getaway in South Carolina. Neither one of us had been to Myrtle Beach and once there it was everything we’ve ever heard about it. The beach was beautiful, people friendly, and the sea food excellent. I’m ready to go back!

Now it’s home and get back to work writing. So close to finishing my project. The end is in sight. But before I sign off I took a picture of the pier because it looked so inviting. As I got closer I envisioned a story.

So in closing here is the pier. See if you can come up with a story.

Until then…………………………..

My writing mission has been accomplished this last week, even though I ran into several road blocks. This is the second year for my husband and I to go off to our timeshare, me to write, and him, well, he went back and forth to work each day. I knew I was supposed to put my nose to the grindstone and write—get this novel done–and even with the things that happened I’m just a wee bit closer to it.

Monday morning I was all set to get with it. I’d forgotten my thumb drive with my story on it! Bummer—-well no problem I said to myself. I had to read a book for my book club that was meeting in a week, which I hadn’t started, so I read all day. Finished it! GREAT BOOK.

Tuesday I had a dentist appointment, plus I was supposed to watch my granddaughter, so I though I’ll get some things put together at the house and be ready for Wednesday. Since the grandson was home he said he’d watch his sister. Thank you Bubba! Did the laundry, ironing, fixed dinner, took puppy to doggie training, and spent the night at home! Hubby didn’t have to drive so far that night.

Wednesday back to the timeshare. I pulled the thumb drive out, plugged it in, and began. Last year I wasted time on line searching for ancestors, as we had wifi. This year no such luck. For some reason I could not hook up, with any of my electronic gadgets! All and all I did get 5000 words written in those three days.

Thursday was writing all day. Yea!

Friday I took a couple of hours break and went to the small mall to get my watch fixed. Then back to writing. As I said I did get some work done.

I did try to sort some of my paper work on finding a missing person……oh my goodness WAVERLY is the hardest name to find on Ancestry! Even harder because I don’t have a first name and no date of birth! If I ever find this guy the whole universe will know it!!!

All I have is a picture, time frame, where he was during 1941 and 1942, and that he was quite chummy with my mother (according to the pictures).

So back to work.

Until then……………………….

The writing conference, Story Circle Network ended Sunday. I went to the class on writing for 20 minutes a day, that’s all it takes. I’m hear to tell you since Monday I’ve made sure I’ve done the 20 minutes and it is working! “Katie” will be finished this year! Hopefully within the next two months. Have to get it done as I have traveling plans this summer. So many places to go, so many things to see and do. Southwest take me away!

Until then………………………..

This last week end I attended a terrific conference in Austin. Story Circle Network. Stories for women written by women. Memoirs mostly. I was able to meet ladies that had the same interests that I had. Wanting to tell the stories of other women in their families. Stories of how their grandmothers road a wagon while grandpa walked along side keeping their cattle in check. Stories of fleeing their home lands and being tossed about on small ships crossing the rough seas, looking for land they could call their own, and the freedom to speak without being thrown in jail for their views. Can I say “wow”!

I want to tell the stories but most of the time I have trouble of sitting my “BIC” to strike the keys to produce pages of words. The laundry calls, dogs have to go potty, I have to go potty, pull meat out of the freezer for dinner, make the bed, do the dishes, vacuum, dust, mow the lawn, and the list goes on and on. Then there is the excuse of looking at the screen and the mind goes blank!

I attended a great workshop on writing 20 minutes a day. Just write. Len Letherwood was full of ways to get your juices going from keys to screen. Here is her blog www.lenleatherwood.wordpress.com
Check it out.

With that said I hear my Katie calling. I need to get some more words on paper so I can finally finish her story. So close to the end.

Until then……………………

To say that I’ve been busy is an understatement.  I’m not saying “Oh whoa is me” but rather “Stop the bus, the world, whatever, I need to take a break!”

It is fun to take a week off to have fun, relax, but when you get home things seem to pile up.  I mean really pile up!  Take the laundry—-please someone take it!  I don’t mind the laundry but it’s the ironing I dislike immensely, like with a passion.

Then there is the yard work.  I like getting outside, cutting the grass, planting, and watering.  But I did not rake the leaves last year and now my yard is so full of leaves mixed in with the weeds.  It looks disgusting.

House work is another story all together.  There’s the vacuuming, dusting, cleaning windows, and the list goes on and on.  Plus when you have three small dogs there is always dog hair, dog toys, and an occasional wet spot because I didn’t let them out soon enough.

Did I mention I watch my four year old granddaughter four days a week.  I love her right along with the rest of the other 16.  Just wish at least 10 of them lived closer!  I’m not excluding any—-the other six live within ear shot of me!

Now then when is there time to write—research—-conferences????  That is what I’m trying to work out so I can get some things finished.  Like my book that I’ve been working on for three years and I’m on the last two chapters…….HELP!

So guess I’d better get with it..

Until then…………………………………

Will keep you posted…………………………………….