It was back on February 13 when I sent a Facebook message to the only descendant I could find in the family of Alta Barnes. Since I had found not one, but five, photographs of Alta's family, I really wanted to send those abandoned hundred year old pictures home. But you know how Facebook messenger can be—especially for those of us who are trying to reach out to people who are not "friends"—it is never certain that the message actually gets delivered.
I remember a while back when Facebook expected people to pony up one dollar for the privilege of contacting not-friends. At other times, I had heard that the message just doesn't get sent—leaving those who gathered up enough guts to contact a stranger to twist in the wind of self-doubt.
I didn't really know where I stood, in the current not-friend contacting policy at Facebook. Judging from the lack of any answer, I figured the current protocol was to leave the messenger guessing.
Late last Thursday evening, though, my Facebook message-in-a-bottle got answered. I wasn't even looking for it, so was just about to shut down everything for the night. Thankfully, I spotted it and sent back a hasty note.
With relief, I can now let you know that one of the biggest family photo collections I had found since starting this abandoned photograph project is now headed home. Although the photos will not be going to Alta's grandchildren—at least not yet—they will be mailed to a family member. For that, I'm excited. Hopefully, this relative is in touch with Alta's grandchildren and will be able to share from the collection.
It's been interesting, as I do this project, to see how some people are so enthused to receive such an old family picture, while others are next to impossible to even contact. I guess that goes to show us that genealogy is not the uppermost consideration in some people's minds, as inconceivable as we may find that thought. And while some people just adore old photographs, others look at them as just so much clutter to be discarded. In my mind, I've started imagining a Groundhog Day scene where the descendants boxes up old family photographs, send them off to some secondhand store to get rid of them at a profit, and turn around only to find the photos being returned to them, time after time, in a never-ending time loop of the same scene.
At least, my experiences haven't brought me to any descendant at that extreme. Yet.
For now, the photos of Alta Barnes and her siblings will at last be on their way back home to Oklahoma. The biggest group to have stumped me is finally going to be reunited with family.
Above: The photograph of big sister Alta Barnes and her baby brother Jimmie and younger sister Helen are finally headed home, along with the rest of the photographs of the Barnes family.
I know you feel good solving this genealogy-mystery. Congrats! Now on to the Hallees.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wendy. It is gratifying! And it helps remind me that some things will just have to take time.
DeleteSo happy they have found their home!
ReplyDeleteI am, too, Miss Merry! Together, these photographs share a lot about the Barnes family over a good number of years.
DeleteOk, I have to say tears are in my eyes. I so wish I had photos of all of my ancestors. I just don't get how anyone could not want them. But I guess not all of us are alike. Thank you for your diligence in completing this project.
ReplyDeleteSallysmom, that's pretty much the reason why I started doing this: I wish someone would find one of my ancestors' pictures and send it to me! Wouldn't that be a dream!
DeleteGenealogy good deeds are awesome! Glad you found a home for Alta. It is a really lovely photo.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing about the genealogy community--at least in my experience over the years--is that it has been a very generous and giving community. Genealogy good deeds, as you mention, Kathy, abound in the many times people have helped newbies, or shared details that a newly-found distant cousin couldn't possibly have found on her own.
DeleteI can think of so many people who have been kind to me when I was starting out in my own research. Those were all good deeds done by others that benefited me. I'm hoping our generation of researchers will be able to pass it on to others, too, in whatever little ways we can find to help.
I wish I knew Alta. She a lovely smile!
ReplyDeleteYes! I thought this was a particularly sweet photo.
DeleteWay to go!! :)
ReplyDeleteWith every photograph I send home, Far Side, I have you to thank as my mentor! I can't even begin to think of all the pictures you have been able to send home over the years.
DeleteHello Jacqi. I was reading Gail Devers blog where she had wrote about the Hallee photo and shared a link to your blog. Last Christmas a granddaughter gave me a small box of items (no photos) she had purchased from an antique store. I was able to trace the items to who they had originally belonged and for most even establish a little history about the items. I then traced that persons family history and put what I had learned into a short paper that I gave back to my granddaughter. I considered contacting the family of who the box, but realized they were the ones who sold the items, and wouldn't be interested in receiving them back. Kind of like your Groundhog Day comment.
ReplyDelete