Family Duty

I spent most of last night and all day today digitizing family history and genealogy records. Relatives have entrusted me with these precious pages representing several lifetimes of research and work by various of my kin folk past and present.

I am scanning in all documents and converting some from image files to text files using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software. In proofing these text files I was amazed to find some very exciting facts about my family line. Seems that I am a descendant of a certain Michael Weigand who migrated from Germany to England and was sponsored by Queen Anne who gave him and his companions land in America in 1708. The home he eventually built became known as Hasbrouck House and was later used by George Washington as a headquarters for a time. COOL!

I have found all sorts fascinating tales and people in my past roots and am excited about an upcoming road trip to gather family info. I had planned to make a trip to Iowa and South Dakota last summer, but too much was going on and we moved in the midst of it, so now is the time to make the trek.

I will be visiting many folks who are in their 80's or older as well as a few younger folks. I have talked of getting the family history and records compiled for years and just have never gotten it done. It is something that really needs to be done and something I owe my children, so I am determined to finally work with diligence on it.

God deliberately placed each of us in a family. It was not some haphazard or casual choice. He had a reason for putting us in the family we have. Like all families, yours and mine, there are some good guys and some less honorable ones. I have often wondered about why God made the choices He did in my life, just as you may not understand His placement of you with the family you came from. One thing I know, though, He made the selections out of love and wisdom and has our futures in His tender hands as well.