Last night I had the pleasure of visiting with a lady I'd only spoken to on the phone. Last fall, Stephan and I tool a genealogy trip to Edina, MO...just east of Kirksville. When my family moved to MO from KY in the late 1800's, they ended up settling in this upper NorthEast area. My great-grandfather moved to the KC, KS area and that's where my immediate family originated.
My great-grandfather, James Elkins, had six siblings, all who stayed in this region of MO. From our walking through grave yards and looking through old birth and death certificates, we found that the two daughter's of my great-grandfather's youngest brother were still alive and now living just across the Mississippi River in Illinois. This was bound to shed a little light on my research.
It turns out Betsy (Elkins) Wharton had a doctor's appointment at the KU Med Center in KCK this morning and her youngest daughter Marcy was driving her in for the visit. Marcy sent me an email asking if I would be available for dinner Monday night. I was thrilled to get the chance to sit down with Betsy and talk a little about the family and our connection back to Kentucky.
Needless to say, I was not disappointed. We had a very nice visit and Steph and I are making plans to visit Nauvoo, IL in April for her sister & brother-in-law's celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. We also intend to visit again in August for a family reunion (for her mom's side of the family - there will be a number of Elkins there as well).
Once I get this side of the family documented - next stop, Log Lick, Kentucky!
2 comments:
A good time was had! Thank you for dinner and discussion. Mom is still talking about history, you and Steph, and geneaology.
It was wonderful to meet you two as well...we look forward to visiting in April and again in August!
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