Ancestors or Influencers?

 My interest in genealogy has been based mostly on the question "Who influenced those who influenced me?" I suppose it's the psychologist in me. Somehow that became "What is my family (i.e., genetic) history?" In pursuit of that I, along with millions of others, sent in saliva to have my genes codified. We all get emails saying that dozens of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ad infinitum cousins have been found. Well, I have no more than a mild interest in them. Genes are extremely important but not so much in answering the question I started with.

Often it's necessary to learn more. An example is my maternal grandmother, Ann Josephine Cullerton (Graver). Her parents died when she was very young and the Kelly family raised her until she married at 19. Here's the note added to her dewjoy genealogy.

So those two elderly women I knew as distant aunts were far more important in understanding my grandmother than her biological relatives. It's time to contemplate those kinds of connections more.

COVID-19: A Horrible Year

 And it's not over yet. Rates are dropping but could surge again easily. Joyce and I have pretty much been hibernating. Last year at this time we returned from Florida, where state police were greeting people entering on major highways, trying to turn them back. It was so good to get back home, where we seem to have isolated much of the time. So far more people died during the influenza of a century ago, the year my father was born, but unless we move faster on vaccinations, we'll beat them.

We are having our first full family celebration today, for Mary Fran's birthday. Most of us have been vaccinated. some may still wear masks. We are tentatively hoping to visit Chicago family in August. Surely it will be better then!  🙏🙏