The Family Historian

I am fortunate to have a large extended family. As a child I saw relatives often because we lived in the same city. On my mother’s side of the family, my siblings and I addressed our cousins who were old enough to be our parents as Aunt and Uncle. One of the out of town uncles visited at least twice a year and among all the uncles—all of whom were great storytellers—I loved to hear Uncle Jeff’s stories the most. I thought of him as sophisticated, wise and charming.

My family and I are indebted to Uncle Jeff for seeking to tell the story of our family. Inspired by Alex Haley’s Roots, he became our “Self-Appointed Family Historian.” He interviewed family members and conducted research. From his effort he produced a 13 page document. Alhough it was not a lengthy document, it chronicled four generations of the family and described the family’s experience in the southern United States and their eventual migration to the Midwest. Because I am a packrat, I still have a yellowed copy of the document he prepared. In it I read that when he wrote it he had me and my generation of the family in mind. He wrote it so that we would, “continue to search for truth and go faster and farther that the last generation.”

On Monday my family and my uncle’s friends gathered to celebrate his life. At his homegoing services many shared stories about him: proud US Air Force veteran, volunteer, loving father, committed church member, and befriender of everyone he met. Had I attended the services I would have added that he was an inspiration and I am grateful for the history he gathered with me in mind.