Kentucky & Ohio - A Very Full Week!

I know I usually do Military Monday, but I wanted to just take a few lines and wrap up with a summary of our latest research trip.

We began the trip by heading south from Michigan to Kentucky.  We spent two days in cemeteries, both Grapevine & Odd Fellow's are in Madisonville, Hopkins County, Kentucky.  Mr. Brown Eye's has mega family connections to those area's cemteries with surnames such as Ligon, Winstead, Tapp, Eudaley, and many more.  If you are interested drop me a line we can chat!  We photographed well over a hundred headstones that we needed photo's for.  The heat was extreme & very intense, but we were successful, although there are still stones on the list that we did not find. 

While there I did get to visit with my sister, Sheila, with whom I had not visited in six years.  It was good to see her and meet her boyfriend as well.  A very pleasant visit.  I hated to see it end.  Perhaps in the fall she will come here to visit while our mom is here?

The fourth of July was spent traveling back up to Montgomery County, Ohio (Dayton area) where me met up with our research group for the week.  And a very good week it was!  Lots of new friends (Peter, Jane, Twila, Bob, Judy, Karen) and some familiar faces (Michael, Donna & Bev) all getting together to research and share surnames.  We terrorized the Garst, The Brethren Heritage Center and the Montgomery County Records Center & Archives.  We shared dinner in the evenings and lunch.  We researched, we laughed, we talked.  One night we even did some taxes!   All in all I think a great time was had by all with much genealogy success!

On a personal note, as I said before we photographed over 100 headstones, pulled at least 103 obits at the Brethren Center, Another 45 or 50 at Garst and made over 150 copies at the Archives & Record Center.  Alot of the Archives work was typed in while I was researching.  Mr. Brown Eye's is an excellant researcher in his own right.

The weekend wrapped up Saturday with a visit with my long cousin, Dwane Kreitzer, his wife, Lori, daughter, Sasha, our great aunt, Joyce, cousin Kenny, and Cousin Susie all getting together at Joyce's for a pizza lunch. It was so great meeting all of them. Much genealogy was discussed, many memories relived with much laughter shared.  It was the highlight of my trip, as I had never met many of those involved, but the reunion with my dear cousin Dwane truly made the trip for me.  He is a very special person indeed! 

We ended the day with an evening on the patio of P.F. Changs celebrating my upcoming birthday and finished it off with a drink in the rooftop lounge of our hotel overlooking the lights of downtown Dayton.  Its not Paris or New York but being with Mr. Brown Eyes is really all that mattered to me! 

I must admit that this has to be the best trip I think I've ever taken.  I don't think it gets much better than this!

We came home Sunday to both the kids & all three grandsons shouting SUPRISE as I walked in the door of our home.  Dinner on the grill and birthday cake followed!  My beautiful daughter made the four layer cake (which was FAB!), the boys sang happy birthday.  Having those three little boys run up with hugs and "we missed you grandma" are like music to my ears. It really doesn't get much better than that!  What an awesome end to a most awesome research trip.  Life is good!  I am truly blessed!....   and the birthday isn't even here yet! 

Happy Researching!
Karen