Friday, October 1, 2010

A funny little poem for a dreary, rainy day...

I found this genealogy poem on a genealogy quotes message board (http://www.bordeglobal.com/foruminv/index.php?showtopic=41938) - the guy who posted it didn't know who the author was. If anyone does, I will rightly attribute it, but ths poem just made me laugh, because I think we've all been there - we've all had that one family member we're trying to trace who fits this bill, who's just so untraceable that it goes from being frustrating to funny. Also, it's reassuring to know that all genealogists have to deal with this, that we're all in the same boat!

Genealogy Poem:
I went searching for an ancestor. I cannot find him still.
He moved around from place to place and did not leave a will.
He married where a courthouse burned. He mended all his fences.
He avoided any man who came to take the US census.

He always kept his luggage packed, this man who had no fame.
And every 20 years or so, this rascal changed his name.
His parents came from Europe. They could be on some list
of passengers to the USA, but somehow they got missed.

And no one else anywhere is searching for this man
So, I play geneasolitaire to find him if I can.
I'm told he's buried in a plot, with tombstone he was blessed
but the weather took engraving and some vandal took the rest.

He died before the county clerks decided to keep records,
No family bible has emerged in spite of all my efforts.
To top it off this ancestor, who caused me many groans.
Just to give me one more pain, betrothed a girl named JONES.

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