After working on the stories that have been handed down from one generation to the next about my Habben/Ufkes family and restoring the faded and damaged photographs for the last year, can I actually say it is complete? I had originally set a goal for myself of October 2008. October came and went along with November, December, and January. I've written and rewritten the stories, rechecked dates and cross check information with other family members and for the tenth time run spell check. Now if they could only invent a program that would write what I mean and not what I type - well that would just be heaven!
My project began as a little 30 page project of photographs of my ancestors that my Mom had in a box. But as my curiosity grew so did the project. Today the project finishes at 320 pages of photographs and stories that have been handed down through the last 150 years and includes 63 individuals. None of which would have been possible without the incredible assistance of two cousins who I did not know before this project. Getting to know my distant cousins Brenda and Jennifer has been a reward unto itself! "Searching" was not designed to be a historical document, but rather a collection of photographs and stories. Some of them I'm sure have been exaggerated or embellished through the years, but, I'm sure there is some truth to them as I was able to locate census and documents that verify some of them.
As with any project it has held it's frustrations. Promised information and photographs that never came, language barriers and things that have come to me just as I thought I would be complete. My last goal was to send the book off to the publisher for printing this last Wednesday, but after receiving a call telling me that some information on one individual was in the mail I had to delay it one more time. But, I want to include what is coming so a small delay. Once that it added it will be complete and off to the printer it goes no matter what!
I'm just so happy that I could pay tribute to my ancestors in this way, making sure they are remembered by future generations. They have been my constant companions for the last 12 months and as I come to the close of the project they have left my little office one by one. But, "The Ties That Bind" will keep them forever in my heart........
Congratulations on finishing such a large project in a short time!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I've actually worked on the information much more than a year, but, the work on the actually writing and photo restoration has been done over the last year.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the last 8 months I've worked almost 7 days a week, 4-12 hours a day. It has been most rewarding!
I can hardly wait to order my own copy!
ReplyDeleteYour project sounds really exciting, well done.
ReplyDeleteYou have really put a lot of effort into this - lots of excitment when the book is finally in your hands.