My Uncle Bill Pedersen passed away last Monday at the age of 82. His first wife was my Mom’s sister Loretta, who passed away in the 80s. He was a quiet, strong, and kind man and raised a strong, outgoing, loving family. He married three times and lived a life full of Love.
Uncle Bill’s passing somehow reignited my genealogy spark! I’ve been a bit out of it since starting my new job at SuperTarget. Between my work schedule, the physicality of cashiering (who knew??), and our money situation, I haven’t felt like doing any research. I had it made last summer/fall when I wasn’t working! (Thank you, Scott!! xoxo) I vowed to jump back on the horse and tie up some loose ends, follow up with the “uber-WAITS researcher”, and get back to researching and documenting that research. Plus, I actually got on Twitter for the first time since I posted this in November:
Just got off the phone with uber-WAITS researcher AH She’s sending me ALL of her research from over the years, and passing the torch. WOWZA!
2:33 PM Nov 23rd, 2009 via HootSuite
She’s 86, sharp as a tack, and I can’t wait to pick her brain! Our conversation lasted all of 7 min. ha! She plays bridge and had to run.
2:48 PM Nov 23rd, 2009 via HootSuite
The “uber-WAITS researcher” was Angeline Harris… and she passed away on Friday.
I was “too busy” and “too tired” from working and meant to at least send a letter, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around my research and where I’d left off. I wanted to have my ducks in a row when I spoke to her again. I do regret not having picked her brain like I’d wanted, there are so many questions that I have about our ancestry. But mostly I regret not getting to know her. I feel like we could have been friends. Maybe it’s the shared love of genealogy like the kinship I have with my fellow geneabloggers that made me feel like I already knew her. Her death struck me to the core.
I don’t know what they’re doing with her genealogy files. I don’t expect to get them, of course, but if they’re looking for someone to take care of them and share them with the world, then I’m up to the challenge.
As an armchair genealogist, I know that we’re only on this earth for a limited amount of time. And while it seems that I have plenty of time left, that’s not always true for those around me. I felt this same regret when I lost my Dad in 2004.
Kathy,
Glad to see you back posting. I’m sorry to hear of your losses. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
I know what you mean. My distant cousin just passed away. He had invited me to come see some pictures last spring, but I never got around to it for various reasons. I’m glad that I met him, though (about 2008), and I’m trying not to kick myself too hard. I visited with one relative last month and am playing phone tag with another.
Hey Kathy – I’ve missed your posts! Glad to see you back, and so sorry to hear of your losses. Keep your head up.
Renate