My misguided research had me “barking up the wrong tree.”   

Well, it was true; I must admit that I have made mistakes when it comes to my family tree.  In the beginning, when I first started on Ancestry.com, I would just click away, swinging from one family branch to the next.  As my family tree grew, I became zealous and excited.  Stories and histories swirled around in my head as I tried to piece and organize all the family details that I had discovered.  Finally, I knew I had to start writing these stories down, so they would not become lost, and so I would not confuse all the data that my research revealed.

With writing, came responsibility, so at this point, my research became more consuming.  For each person discovered, I needed back up.  I delved into internet research, and I read books—lots and lots of books.  And to the mix, I added DNA support, which has been a blessing and a curse.  Currently, in my tree, I have found 19 DNA family circles, and I have also uncovered cousins that have also connected with other family members here and there.

But then came the latest DNA relatives…in the new ancestry discoveries section…15 people in all, and I have no flippin clue how we were supposed to be related.  Although I have tried to find “the missing link,” I haven’t had any luck just yet.  With the latest bunch of info, my head began to ache, and that old country western song, Who’s Cheatin Who? by Alan Jackson started playing in my head when I tried to sort out all that nonsense.  So I have left all that for another day.

Recently, I found that I am NOT related to Rebecca Saffer, my 3x great grandmother from my story, “Wedding Bells.” Recent research showed that I was “barking up the wrong tree.”   But in my defense, do you know how many William Franklin Bryants lived in Illinois during the 19^th century?  Was William Franklin a popular boy’s name?  Or maybe he had multiple families in different cities…  Perhaps William Franklin is “the missing link” to all those unidentified family members.  Hmmm??!!  Okay, so I will reign in my vivid imagination before it runs amuck, and I will return to Great Grandma Rebecca.

Sigh!  My high-spirited grandmother who married numerous times, my vivacious grandmother who married a much younger man wasn’t really mine after all.  Sadly, I have mourned this lost grandmother, for I felt a connecting spirit to a strong-willed woman as she defied the conventional norms of her day.  This grandma had moxie and raised eyebrows. With that said, she would have fit right in with the other nuts in my tree!   So, Grandmother Rebecca, I have kept you tucked in my heart.  Who knows, with all the William Franklins, maybe we could connect once again, somewhere along the way, and we can’t forget about all those wonderful new discoveries.  Perhaps those “missing links” could lead us back together after all!  Until then, Grandma Rebecca, until then…

Note:  March 4, 2018 – DNA evidence shows that I am related to Rebecca!  Wahoo!