A bloom has died in our mother's garden..
Some years back, in the midst of my family research, in the midst of me searching for our mother's garden - I stumbled across an obituary that was a crucial link to my GGGreat grandmother.
The obit listed the surviving members and I googled the name of the child who shared the name of my GGGreat grandmothers son and grandson. Seth. I was rewarded with an address and telephone number. I called and Seth himself answered the phone.
I started with: "This may sound crazy, but please hear me out...." after I rattled who I was, how I found his name and what I was doing..
Seth laughed and said, well, yeah, you've got the right person..we are indeed kin, but need to speak to my brother John Collins, he's the family historian. Seth gave me John's number. I called him and repeated my spiel. John reconfirmed that we were indeed family.
We communicated on and off for the next few years until finally in July of 2015, I drove down to the rural Georgia town when he lives with his wife and children and finally met him - face to face.
That day, we drove to Augusta, Georgia and I was introduced to all of his siblings, my cousins - including Seth, pictured here wearing the red baseball cap - his brother John is standing posed behind me. Seth reminds me a bit of my brother Reggie and his son, Myles.
Anyway, Seth was not in the best of health. Today, I learned that he had passed away early this morning. I'm so glad I was able to meet him and enclose him in a loving embrace before he transitioned to be with the ancestors. #Family
Bernice L. McFadden
The obit listed the surviving members and I googled the name of the child who shared the name of my GGGreat grandmothers son and grandson. Seth. I was rewarded with an address and telephone number. I called and Seth himself answered the phone.
I started with: "This may sound crazy, but please hear me out...." after I rattled who I was, how I found his name and what I was doing..
Seth laughed and said, well, yeah, you've got the right person..we are indeed kin, but need to speak to my brother John Collins, he's the family historian. Seth gave me John's number. I called him and repeated my spiel. John reconfirmed that we were indeed family.
We communicated on and off for the next few years until finally in July of 2015, I drove down to the rural Georgia town when he lives with his wife and children and finally met him - face to face.
That day, we drove to Augusta, Georgia and I was introduced to all of his siblings, my cousins - including Seth, pictured here wearing the red baseball cap - his brother John is standing posed behind me. Seth reminds me a bit of my brother Reggie and his son, Myles.
Anyway, Seth was not in the best of health. Today, I learned that he had passed away early this morning. I'm so glad I was able to meet him and enclose him in a loving embrace before he transitioned to be with the ancestors. #Family
Bernice L. McFadden
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