Grandmother hands clasp little fingers
She knows the stories behind the facts
The ones foundd betweenthe dates
Of birth and death on the headstones.
Honor her. Read and search the stories
In probate records and newspapers
From around the world.
Dig deep, look between the lines
There are stories in those spaces.
Names of children and their spouses.
Occupations, farmer to wealthy merchant.
Dates of earliest records to final
Distribution trace their lives,
Places, neighbors, and migration.
Happy moments filled with joy.
Moments frightening, imprisonment.
Scoundrel or man of his circumstances?
Dig deeper, yes, deeper!
Follow the leads in black and white.
Ancestor’s lives emerge and we see
A full picture of what one day
We might be
Those stories preserved for eternity.
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