Thursday's Treasure

Thursday's Treasure is our Family and Ancestors. Without Ancestors we would not be. O, yes we can have material items, and
trinkets to behold. Yes, we can treasure them.

But they do not make us whom we are. They do not mold the mind and body to the fibers of our past. The material remind us of the past event or time but does not mold and make us be.

Reading census and then family data makes us aware that not all is as it seems. Many hundreds of times you will see in early census the comment farmer, laborer and the like. But do you really know what they labored over or with? Was farmer the normal so that there was food on the table and stored for the winter, or was it his passion to do ?

I have learned an ancestor Henry Huffman b 1803 Greene Co PA was labeled a farmer (by himself or census taker) on the files, but that is not what this man was, He fit the mold more of a Contractor and wood worker. He designed and build a staircase, new for all to see. He created bridges where others did not want to try. He build churches and schools for the community to use.

AH, you say so did his neighbors, Yes they did, it was community effort but he did the much of the designing and two of his sons at least were always helping him to do this along with a neighbor or two whom would benefit. In this time period generally all the local neighbors would benefit from a bridge, school or church.

I remember researching the Gallentine family looking for a missing GG Uncle Jacob Gallentine. (Martha Huffman's husband, Henry's daughter) It was interesting to read the history of the Gallentine family. They lived in Fayette and Greene Co's Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.

One Gallentine had become a legislature and a man from France came to see him. When told where to find him he could not understand why the man was out plowing his fields or working. But this Gallentine's main objective was farming. He became a great political person for the area. But when asked by the French man, why he was in the fields, he said that farming was what he liked to do and was relaxed doing it. He did government work in thanks for all his country had done for him.

Remembering this was in a time when they did it with out pay. We got real government work by real people.

So treasure your ancestors and remember they were many things more than they appeared to be.
Just as we are many more things than what we realize, depending on whom is looking at you and how they perceive you.

As for myself, I was my Great grandparents child and grandparents child and then I was a child, all at the same time.
At the same time in space I was class mate, girlfriend and helper to our neighbors. I was a sister to a sister and two brothers,
I was a and am a niece to aunts and uncles I am still a cousin to many and niece to two Aunt's and one Uncle. I am a grand niece to one Great Aunt.

I am also a Mother, Wife, Grandmother, Great Great Aunt, Great Aunt and Aunt to many.

So treasure your Ancestors for they are whom you have taken fiber from to become whom you are.

In this may you find a clue to help solve a mystery or two for as humans we are more than we appear to be.