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| John Monroe Ganus and sons L-R Top row Robert, Roderick M., Newton L. bottom row John Monroe, John T., William F. |
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| Nephi Glen Hostetter |
While I will never appreciate the unorganized wildness that I fight with every day, I did have an ah ha moment one day as I was looking through my genealogy pictures.
One look at my both my maternal and paternal grandfathers' and great grandfathers' wavy hair left little doubt that I had come by my hair naturally and that instead of making me stand out, like I had always felt, it actually helped me to fit in---fit in with the family.
So that began my quest to find other things about me that actually help me to fit in with my ancestors.
I had to laugh once when I received an email from a newly found distant cousin and he asked if I had ever noticed rather pronounced ears in my family. Yes, I told him---and with that we began an exchange of ancestor pictures back and forth, proof positive that our families shared more than surnames. I was delighted to know that while I had always thought they were Ganus features because my Grandpa Ganus had those ears, this cousin was actually a Rainwater cousin and so it made me feel connected instead to my Rainwater family.
What other things? What about personality traits? I hate someone beating me off the line at a stop light---I know, I know, I'm way too old for that one, but it was fun to learn from my mom that her father had been the same way. While I am not sure that there is a gene for such a thing, I delight in knowing that I share this with a grandfather that I never knew .
I giggle each time I find a new Ganus connection and learn that their ancestor was known for their spunk. I shared some stories showing Addison's spunk in a previous post, but I've also been told that John's sister Martha was very spunky and that at times, so was my great great grandfather John Monroe Ganus. Do I see that in myself? Well let's just say that as much as I struggle with my hair, my spunk can be an even bigger problem.
I will never love my hair, but I must confess that some days it does make me smile as I realize that it connects me to them and somehow that helps. What physical and personality traits have you inherited?
Copyright © Michelle G. Taggart 2012
So that began my quest to find other things about me that actually help me to fit in with my ancestors.
I had to laugh once when I received an email from a newly found distant cousin and he asked if I had ever noticed rather pronounced ears in my family. Yes, I told him---and with that we began an exchange of ancestor pictures back and forth, proof positive that our families shared more than surnames. I was delighted to know that while I had always thought they were Ganus features because my Grandpa Ganus had those ears, this cousin was actually a Rainwater cousin and so it made me feel connected instead to my Rainwater family.
What other things? What about personality traits? I hate someone beating me off the line at a stop light---I know, I know, I'm way too old for that one, but it was fun to learn from my mom that her father had been the same way. While I am not sure that there is a gene for such a thing, I delight in knowing that I share this with a grandfather that I never knew .
I giggle each time I find a new Ganus connection and learn that their ancestor was known for their spunk. I shared some stories showing Addison's spunk in a previous post, but I've also been told that John's sister Martha was very spunky and that at times, so was my great great grandfather John Monroe Ganus. Do I see that in myself? Well let's just say that as much as I struggle with my hair, my spunk can be an even bigger problem.
I will never love my hair, but I must confess that some days it does make me smile as I realize that it connects me to them and somehow that helps. What physical and personality traits have you inherited?
Copyright © Michelle G. Taggart 2012