In the quest for the identity of my grandfather I’ve been using a service called Genealogy Bank. It’s a service filled with old, scanned newspapers from across the world. An astoundingly useful tool for genealogists, it makes it possible to search for your more infamous relatives. It’s also a fascinating view into the culture and […]
My Father’s Father Part 9 – The Lost Boy
Russell from the movie Up said it best. “Sometimes it’s the boring parts I miss the most.” I remember being lost only once, in a store, distracted by the toy aisle. I can’t remember with certainty if I panicked or if I stood frozen, waiting for Mom. I remember the cold light, the tall shelves, […]
My Father’s Father Part 8 – One More Time With Feeling
I’m wondering if this rabbit hole was too deep. My head whipped about like a windsock in a stiff breeze as I experienced it realtime. The thoughts came jumbled and in floods, often times needing weeks to put down. In my mind the narrative never unfolded sequentially and that’s why you’ve been tasked with following my tale […]
My Father’s Father Part 7 – Expectations
It’s late May and I’m exhausted. For Memorial Day we set out to visit my father in law for few days. During that visit I hopped over to my hometown and met with my family. I wanted to give them the full story from my lips and take questions. I didn’t know just how much […]
My Father’s Father Part 5 – The Not So Big Easy
One night while researching various family trees my brother discovered an Ancestry user with a detailed tree for the Mullers reaching back over 200 years. The tree was like a godsend when our search needed it. This tree even had a twist involving a family with a different name, but clearly still a Muller. While […]
My Father’s Father Part 4 – Down by the Bay
The Historical Society proved beneficial in a couple of ways. We found a clearer shot of Charles’ family in 1900, the year he was born. We also discovered the maiden name of a “lost cousin” of the family. Well, she wasn’t lost to the Mullers or the Moreaus, only to me. Thanks to a local history […]
My Father’s Father Part 3 – Rebirth
Things didn’t get better, though. One month after going into prison his father dies. The obituary mentions Charles as one of the children, but he is unable to attend. Sadly this is the last time an obituary mentions Charles. To make matters worse, his release attracted the attention of the Attorney General who threatened to […]
My Father’s Father Part 2 – The Old Cup and Ball Trick
The Cup and Ball Trick is the oldest in the book. You show a player the ball and place it under a cup. You surround that cup with two empty ones and proceed to move the cups about in some chaotic, obscuring fashion. The objective is to mix them up so much the player has […]
My Father’s Father Part 1 – The Not Knowing
There’s an archetype of sorts in the panoply of southern literature, that of the wandering man, dirty and dark. His thoughts a brooding mixture of childhood atrocity and modern masculine struggle. He thrusts himself into situations with ruthless abandon or withers away in silent anger. He doesn’t have a name, or not one that matters. […]
My Father’s Father – Introduction
I’m going to tell a story, in real-time. You know the kind where it’s long and meandering, filled with insight and intrigue. Maybe someone learns something about themselves along the way. I’m not sure what I learned about myself but damn if it wasn’t one hell of a ride. You’ll stumble with me into dead-end […]