D--Descendant Gathering

After moving to Wyoming I knew I needed to “gather the descendants.”  All I wanted to do was push on through the generations and move backward beyond Hugh and Margaret. But I kept getting the message to “gather the descendants.”

As it turned out this was one of the fun aspects of moving to Wyoming. Kathleen, granddaughter of Hugh “Chappie” Roberts and great granddaughter to Hugh & Margaret, was great fun to visit and have lunch with. She also loved family history and shared everything she had: stories, pictures, family fables and tall tales, histories and keepsakes. She grew up in Rock Springs and then lived in Green River, so she knew the family. She knew the skeletons and knew the stories. I had fun visiting her and learning about the family. She and I were kindred spirits both crazy and loving genealogy! She has since passed away and when I return to Sweetwater County, I miss seeing her.

A few other descendants I have met have been A.C., M.S., E.M., E .R. & L.R., M.C., J.R. and Wild Bill Meacham. (Initials because individuals are still living, and Wild Bill I will write about in a later post.) Other relatives I have been in contact with via email, snail mail, and phone. These cousins I hope to visit someday soon.

In hindsight I am glad I “gathered the descendants” because it is an important part of the research puzzle and the whole Roberts family picture. It continues to be an important part of my research and records.

So, looking back is just as important as looking out and around for your cousins!

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