"Searching" - Part V

Ginger, Janice and Grandpa Fred

When I first saw the photo of my cousins Ginger and Janice I was surprised to see how much Ginger looked like my Aunt Lee. At first I actually thought it was my Aunt, but I had never heard any stories of the two families being together. Ginger and Janice grew up in Minnesota and my Mom and her sisters grew up in Nebraska.

Lee and Lucille

While restoring my ancestors photographs I've seen many resemblances between family members. For example I see a lot of similarities between my great grandfather Rolf and my cousin Steve.

In 1991 Ginger had her Mother Leola and her Aunt's Freda and Alyce, make a video. The video contains stories of the Aunts growing up years as well as stories about their parents. I'm sure when Ginger made the video in 1991 she would never have thought the information would be used to write a family history book. The girls parents, Fred and Tina, were married in 1888 in Nebraska and had a homestead in Cheyenne County. Droughts and grasshopper plagues forced the family to leave the homestead. The stories told of the loneliness of living on the homestead, Indian attacks and working for Buffalo Bill Cody. The video is so much fun to listen to and I was just thrilled when my cousin Brenda shared it with me.

In the early 1900's all children needed for entertainment was an imagination. One summer afternoon Freda and Leola drug an old wooden washtub to the watering pond thinking it would make a great boat. Leola jumped in and Freda pushed it into the water and then she jumped in. It wasn't long before the wooden tub filled with water and the girls were drenched. The old washtub didn't make a good boat but the girls had fun trying.

The Nelk sisters video is truly a family treasure and an idea I hope I can talk my own Aunts into. Many of their stories sounded similar to ones I've heard from my own family.

"The Ties That Bind" hold many memories...........