Sisters on a Search 1997

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Brown leaves crackle underfoot as we enter my favorite scope of woods for a brisk fall walk.  It’s a serene place to stroll, view nature and just spend some time to get in touch with oneself.  The dogs and I have been here often and we had only walked a few feet when Sister and Jill see a gray squirrel in the distance and of they go in hot pursuit  Jill does most of the barking, but Sister does her share of the legwork.  Of  course, the squirrel scampers up a tall poplar tree, well out of reach of the canines, leaving the two to look up longingly   — repeatedly circling the tree.

I finally take my seat on a bench, put here for just such a purpose by the One I Love Best, and listen to the restlessness of my two faithful friends.  Resting here, I can reflect and enjoy again some happenings of the past week.

All bundled up and trying to protect ourselves from the fierce wind of Saturday last, Beth and I, along with some cousins, went to South Sauty in Jackson County in search of an old family cemetery located on what used to be private property.  The land is now owned by TVA, the tiny cemetery is overgrown, and we had to make a way to get in.

My Grandmother Lang was a Vaught and it’s in this tiny cemetery that her daddy and other relatives are buried.  We vow to return in the spring and try to clear off the burying grounds.  But who knows what spring will bring.  No doubt, others before us have made the same promise.

This matter of genealogy has a very prominent place in our family for the moment.  Our two girls, who live in Georgia, have a regular meeting night set aside each week to pursue their long lost kin.  One of the main reasons behind all this is so they can join DAR.  As a result, we are all having fun in this endeavor and have met some interesting souls, both dead and alive.

One friend admonished me for doing all this and said, “Instead of looking for the dead, you ought to be helping the living.”  What she doesn’t know is that this is helping the living.  This one subject had drawn two sisters closer together than they have ever been before; and their parents are very pleased and anxious to do whatever they can to dig up stories — some very interesting.

Donna discovered something interesting last week as the two girls worked in the quietness of the Cobb County Library in Marietta, Georgia.  The sisters were reading microfilm across the room from each other when Donna made the discovery.  In a loud whisper said, “Beth, Beth come here.”  Beth was engrossed in whatever she was reading and did not respond immediately and another urgent message echoed across the room, “Beth come here and see this.”  Beth said she had to leave her reading and go see what it was, lest they get kicked out of the library.

The dogs gave up on the squirrel and joined me at the bench.  Giving the two some tender-loving care, I’m reminded that this has to be another of the best parts of country living.