Remembering...

I had a box with some family history items from a file cabinet we emptied at my father's apartment. I'm trying to do some serious cleaning out of some things. I emptied out some file cabinet drawers and made room for most of the items in this box. While cleaning out the box, I found another journal for my mother. I really thought I had typed up and scanned all of her journals a year are so ago. Surprise, here was another binder full of hand-written and typed pages. I determined I would just scan this entire binder.

As I got to the middle of the binder there were lots of plastic sleeves. Inside these sleeves were obituaries and funeral programs for many of the people my mother knew and loved. Now, mind you, Claude and I were married in 1970. We moved from Shreveport in 1971. During all those years other people moved to Shreveport and as a result my parents had many friends that I didn't even know. That was the case with some of these obituaries and funeral programs. I knew lots of them but there was a fair amount I just didn't know. So, what to do with these items. They might not be a treasure to me and my sisters but they certainly might mean something to someone else.

I am following a Facebook page that is about the Shreveport 1st and 2nd Wards (Church congregations). It is focused on the 1970's but other things trickle in there. I determined I could at least post these items on that Facebook page after I scanned them and then others could share with their families and friends if they knew them. At minimum that would make these important family history items be available for others.

I scanned and posted them on the Facebook page as I finished them. Then I tossed the originals. 

Sure enough, many people have viewed them and posted little remembrances about these individuals. There was a time, not too long ago, that would not have been possible. As much as this digital age can drive one crazy. There are places and ways that it can be a huge benefit and blessing for people. It felt good to do the best I could to share this information. 

In all this cleaning out and tossing that I am doing, I came across a note from a friend from our Maryland days. She wrote it to me after she moved to West Virginia. I sent her several little notes and things after she moved to stay in touch. Lynn had 11 children. She was a dear soul and loved her family so very much. She had sleep apnea and simply fell asleep one night and didn't wake up. It was very sad with several of those children being very young at the time. I went to West Virginia to play the organ for her funeral. So when I came across this little thank you note for sending her notes and her quick update of some of her children, I had a lovely little trip down memory lane. I remembered Lynn learning sign language so she could help others. I remember her agreeing to be a teacher for one special needs child. I think these things stand out because she already had 11 children of her own. She was just such a caring individual. 

I looked at this sweet note in her handwriting and then remembered I am friends with one of her daughters on Facebook. I took the scanned copy of the note and private messaged a copy of it to Leslie and told her how much I loved her sweet mother. I explained how much it meant to have a sample of my mother's handwriting now that she was gone and I felt she should have this note for its content and the treasure of having her mother's handwriting. Ironically, Leslie sent me back a message thanking me profusely for sending that to her. It was Mother's Day weekend and she was in need of that little lift. I see the Lord's caring hand in this for me and for Leslie. I'm not a real fan of Mother's Day. But sharing this note and messaging back and forth with Leslie made this day have the meaning I think it was intended to have. Leslie asked if she could share it with her family. I assured her the message was her's now and she was free to use it as she felt right. I'm grateful for that little experience. It was just tender and sweet.

Now, the funny thing in all this cleaning and emptying out of things is finding a 5 1/4 inch disk for an old computer full of files inside a binder. I just sat and chuckled as I looked at it in my hand. Took a picture but accidentally deleted it. Never know what one will find in these long owned and never used files.