Blog Some Genealogy

“The Elusive Ancestor” by Merrell Kenworthy

I went searching for an ancestor. I cannot find him still.
He moved around from place to place and did not leave a will.
He married where a courthouse burned. He mended all his fences.
He avoided any man who came to take the U.S. Census.

He always kept his luggage packed, this man who had no fame.
And every 20 years or so, this rascal changed his name.
His parents came from Europe and should be upon some list
of passengers to the U.S.A., but somehow they got missed.

And no one else in this world is searching for this man.
So, I play genea-solitaire to find him if I can.
I’m told he’s buried in a plot, with tombstone he was blessed;
but the weather took the engraving, and some vandals took the rest.

He died before the county clerks decided to keep records.
No Family Bible has emerged, in spite of all my efforts.
To top it off this ancestor, who caused me many groans,
Just to give me one more pain, betrothed a girl named JONES!

“THE DEAD”, by Frederick Lucian Hosmer, 1882

“I cannot think of them as dead
Who walk with me no more;
Along the path of life I tread
They have but gone before.

“The Father’s house is mansioned fair
Beyond my vision dim;
All souls are his, and here, or there,
Are living unto him.

“And still their silent ministry
Within my heart hath place,
As when on earth they walked with me
And met me face to face.

“Their lives are made forever mine;
What they to me have been
Hath left henceforth its seal and sign
Engraven deep within.

“Mine are they by an ownership
Nor time nor death can free;
For God hath given to love to keep
Its own eternally.”

This MP3 from Jon Sayles reminds us of the strong connection of Americans of the South with their forebears:

A long, long time ago (during the 1970’s while I was in college) I bought a fabulous recording named: “Music of the Ozarks” (National Geographic) - it featured raw, live performances captured from amateur musicians in Appalachia. There were some arresting and gorgeous numbers on that recording, and I especially remember one beautiful, plaintiff vocal tune, named: “Bright Morning Stars Are Rising”.

Unfortunately, the album is no longer in print, and while several artists have recorded Bright Morning Stars, I wanted to give it a shot, on guitar. So, here’s my attempt at playing a gem from the Ozarks. … Play “Bright Morning Stars Are Rising” … Solo guitar. Note… here are the words - you can probably sing them in your head as you listen to the melody line….

Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Day is a-breaking in my soul

Oh, where are our dear mothers?
Oh, where are our dear mothers?
Oh, where are our dear mothers?
Day is a-breaking in my soul

They are down in the valley praying
They are down in the valley praying
They are down in the valley praying
Day is a-breaking in my soul

Oh where are our dear fathers?
Oh where are our dear fathers?
Oh where are our dear fathers?
Day is a-breaking in my soul

They have gone to heaven shouting
They have gone to heaven shouting
They have gone to heaven shouting
Day is a-breaking in my soul

Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Day is a-breaking in my soul