Week 1 – Theme: Beginning - 2021 – 52 stories for 52 weeks

 

2021 – 52 ancestors for 52 weeks

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 

My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and her paternal line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

 Week 1 – Theme: Beginning

There are so many topics that could be used for this theme.  The beginning of their journey to America, the travels across the ocean or what life may have looked like the day they stepped on American soil.  The beginning story of their first child. A new beginning in a town/city they moved to or how they lost their farm in the depression and had to start over.  The beginning of a new chapter of their life after a death of a spouse. The word beginning can mean a lot of things. For this theme, I have chosen to use it as a my “mantra” – just begin - like the Niki’s “just do it”.  There is no time like the present to start with my stories. So, here’s to the future – the best story is yet to be written.  I challenge you to start your stories!

 

Digital Art Project by Bobbie Jean Kurtz

  

The Beginning – My First Project:

 The first project I decided to dive into was an album for my Mother’s 88^th birthday about her life.  This project ended up being the best ever!  I had so much fun putting together all the information I could gather in the short amount of time I had (of course I started way to late). I was lucky that she had a baby book and her high school year books that added to her story.

 It really was the beginning of my research.  I find it so fascinating how you can recreate someone’s life with the documents. 

My Mother’s Father was a logger and her Mother cooked at the logging camps during the years before my Mother started school.  All the fun of the outdoors.  What an experience for a little girl to have. Maybe it was the foundation that was imbedded in my mother to enjoy the outdoor chores more than the indoor chores. And her married life consisted of living in remote areas.  They say the first 5 years of a child’s life is the most important to teach. So, it makes you wonder.

Here is the cover of the book I created for my Mother.