Pay it forward........

I don't know if you are a believer in God or not, but I am. And I believe that sometimes He puts us where He thinks we need to be. It may be because we need to experience something in our lives that will teach us something; or maybe we have a special talent that is needed at that moment; or know how to do something that some one else doesn't. Or maybe, just maybe "He" knows why and we never will know for sure.

I've mentioned that I leave messages on genealogy message boards in my previous posts. And I've mentioned the help I've received from complete strangers. But I haven't mentioned that I also read other peoples messages, especially if they are in the areas my family is from. Last summer I purchased copies of the OSB books from Wiesens and my Cousin DD took the time to copy about 500 pages from the Aurich-Oldendorf book. If your not familiar with what an OSB book is I'll tell you - they are books that have been compiled from Church records of everyone that was born, died, married or was baptised from that area. I've heard that some of them have taken 14 years and more to compile. Any way - if I notice someone on the message board that is looking for family from the areas I have OSB books from I try to help by looking up the family in the book. Plus you never know there may be someone out there looking for my family - hmmmm....

So a couple of days ago I was scanning through the Ostfriesland Society website when a very familiar town caught my eye - "Blue Hill, Nebraska" - hmmm - what's this about I thought ??

"Searching for ANY information on the Buntjer family. -----from Germany and moved to Nebraska to Webster Co, in Blue Hill. I am seeking any information on a lady named Gretchen Buntjer. ---------the purpose of my search is for a dear family member that would finally be at peace with some unanswered life's questions. "

I had to try to help, after all this family was from the same town that my Grandma E was born and raised. Maybe she was friends with their kids - she would want me to help - and I knew that in my heart. So I gathered the information that was left in the message and started searching the ancestry.com records for Gretchen. I was actually kind of surprised when she popped up right away on the 1930 census report. So I checked the dates of how old she would have been in 1930 and that seemed to match- yes she had a brother named Adolar - hmmm - father Anneus - occupation - tailor

Things seemed to be matching up with the items that were listed in the message. I made copies of the records and emailed them off.......... The next day I get a message from Lori - well at first I was thinking my niece Lori - she usually sends me up-dates from her blog so I didn't even open it right away. But when I did and read what she had to say ---

"He is 72 and was given away as a baby (and raised by wonderful parents) but is now with the gloom of wondering about his birth mother."

As any one who reads my blog knows - yes - tears ......... Now I'm on a mission to try to help however I can -and I have a source that I'll tell you about later - so check back as the story unfolds.

As I learn more about this family and the quest to find Gretchen I know that "The Ties That Bind" are pulling on this family.........