Guess whose photo came out of hiding?  Although I love finding names and dates of  family members, what is the most enjoyable about family history is learning about people’s lives.  What did they look like? How tall were they?  What did they like to eat? Where did they work?  What did they wear?  I’ve found answers to those kinds of question in various records, like military records and old newspapers.  Of course memories provided by family members are the best.  But memories come and go.  And then they disappear if they are not recorded.  But a picture, well, you know the saying….a picture is worth a thousand words.  Every picture tells a story.  This is the story of Samuel M. Parmer…

 

 

I had resigned to the idea of not being able to find a picture of Samuel M. Parmer, my great, great grandfather.  I’ve researched about him, written about him, and even placed a memorial marker at the cemetery for him.  But I had never met him or seen him.  So when I received a packet of photocopies last week, I was overwhelmed when I opened it.  As I realized who is in this photo, tears came to my eyes.  Nice to meet you grandfather Samuel M.!

And thank you cousin Ronald for thinking of me when you came across the photocopies!  Our family history journeys together have been successful in many ways, and mostly because of your contributions.