Generations later ...

This weekend something pretty amazing happened but before I share let me preface with a few thoughts.  As with most thoughts, they are the opinion and expression of the one who is feeling them.   Those around may not share the same opinion or thoughts, not because they are wrong, necessarily, but because they view their experiences from a different lens. 

My husband has tried desperately to find his place in his extended family.  As a small child, the formative years, he developed strong bonds with the elders of his tribe.  However, for a season he was removed from those people and missed  critical connection with his family.  As a young adult, he was reintroduced, but he missed so much in the separation.  This last few days have been nothing short of miraculous.  It started out with visiting his “brother” Jimmy, Leigh-Ann, John, cousins Mary and Kevin.  If that were the end of the journey, it would have been wonderful but it was just the beginning.

As many of you know, I am a Genealogist and our Family Historian.  Everyone has one, if you’re lucky.  Someone to protect the stories, pictures, lost ones, loved ones - I’ve made it my life’s passion to help Ray connect through the ones who came before him.  The ones that were lost when the family went down different paths.

On Saturday, Ray and I went to a reunion of family and friends.  I “met” two of these people online less than a year ago.  First I met Justin Schultz.  Justin lives on their family farm.  His GGG-Grandparents, John Schultz and Emile Schmidt Schultz moved to this farm about 100 years ago.  This is where they raised their family and worked hard.  The Shultz Farm is still operational today.  

Justin introduced me to his uncle Fred Schultz on Facebook.  Fred invited our family to the annual Schultz reunion in New Hampshire.  Ray and Fred are third cousins which means they share the same GGG-Grandparents, Carl and Elizabeth Schmidt.  Fred descends from their oldest daughter, Emile, while Ray descends from their next child, Sigmund.

L:  Ray Schmidt, I  R: Fred Schultz

The reunion was more than I imagined.  Ray and I fit right in.  So many familiar faces, yet we have never met.  Later that night in the hotel, I was trying to figure out why Fred looked so familiar.  It’s one of those things where you think you must have met each other before but that wouldn’t be possible in this case.  Then it hit me, he looks just like Ray’s Grandfather!  I pulled out pictures and he looks just like him!  Genetics has always interested me but this was such a striking example of how it works.  

Schultz Farm House

Yesterday, we were invited by Justin and his beautiful girl friend, Allison, to come to the Schultz Family Farm in Massachusetts.  Allison and I were looking through old family photos while Ray and Justin went to meet up with some other cousins who were at the reunion.  Those cousins offered to help Justin uncover a well on the farm that was covered for about 50 years.   It took a couple of hours but the Schartner cousins and Justin exposed the old spring, and cold, clean, fresh water rose up from the ground.  A well that was blocked by circumstances was brought back to life, for a purpose and a plan.

At that moment one of the Schartner cousins, made a profound revelation.  This was the first time, maybe ever, that the Schultz, Schmidts and Schartners were together on this property.  They briefly held hands around that well with a silent amen.