Monday, February 17, 2014

I was Talking with my Husbands Cousin's Alice and Barbara Yesterday!

I have been posting more pictures of my Husbands Family and this has sparked a conversation between his cousins Alice and Barbara and I.  I love these conversations, memories and pictures.  It is a reminder of the Great Family we belong to... It Brings back Memories of the excitement my husband and I felt discovering his family.  He did not remember his Grandfathers Name except he called him Pop-pop. Strange I thought and a bit sad so in a conversation one day with his Brother Chris we asked and Chris gave us some information about a Cousin he would visit Myrtle Bowman. and also Mark W Swett who he also visited... inspired I looked up Mark Swett's Phone # and decided to make a call.using our new cell phones with free long distance.. wow! The woman I spoke to was Bibi Swett, she was so sweet, listened to me as I told her who I was and did not hang up.. a bonus because I was a stranger.  She Said at that time that her Husband Mark was in the nursing home dying from cancer and that his sister Myrtle had died the year before of cancer... So sad to hear this.  She said that Myrtle had done some Ancestory on the Swett Family and her daughter Barbara might be able to share some info and gave me her phone #.  I handed over my cell phone to my husband to talk with his cousins wife and I called Barbara in California. Barbara answered the phone and listened to my story and I told her about Ray's brother Chris that used to visit her mom and the I had just spoke to Bibi - Her Uncle Mark's wife - she was so sweet.  she looked in her mother's phone book and found my Brother-in-laws name and address there.  Wow it gave me goose bump's - two calls on the spur of the moment and we had connected with my hubby's family.  Ray and I were giddy and so delighted.  He learned his Grandfather's Name.. Not just Pop-Pop but Fredrick Irving Swett.  Barbara connected us with another cousin Niel who we called later - it was about 10pm here in Minnesota where we lived when we called and Niel did not hang up but listened, talked with Ray, Remembered playing as children and the Family connection was Made.  Amazing! How excited we were.. in 3 calls that evening we had connected my hubby to his family history.  Nels and others sent us photo's. and we got to share this piece of history with our 8 children.  Ray and I even went the the History Center in St Paul MN and were able to get a copy of the Mark Sweat Family History book... We paid for a zerox copy of the book... What a treasure.


The Swett Family - On the Right is Lillie Marie Ward Swett Purington with her 2nd Husband Mr Purington and her Children. Starting on the Left Fredrick Irving Swett, Louie E Swett, Lillian G Swett, Herbert Swett and in front is her youngest son Horatio Purington.  Her Eldest son Mark W Swett is not in this Photo.