Sorry it's been so long since my last post. It's not that there hasn't been a lot to share, but so much was going on that I simply couldn't pause long enough to organize my thoughts for you. The last post was about our discovery of my paternal ancestral home in Montrose, Georgia. While visiting Laurens County for our family reunion in July, we learned that the home of our 2nd great grandfather David Harvard, his slave Louisa and their children (our grandparents) was being offered for sale. We were fortunate to tour the home and we created a non-profit corporation, The Louisa Harvard Foundation, to devise a plan to acquire the property and preserve it.
All my spare time since my last post here has been diverted to the creation of the Foundation and acquisition plan. Unfortunately, another buyer beat us to the punch and made an offer a couple of weeks ago. Although we can't buy the home at this time, there are two family cemeteries nearby where our ancestors are laid to rest, and the Foundation is working to plan and carryout a large restoration and preservation project for the Harvard Family Cemetery as well as the Laurens Hill Baptist Cemetery.
I'm so thankful to have found my genetic family and to have been so warmly welcomed by them. Walking in the foot steps on the same land and floors that our ancestors worked and lived was an unexpected and very moving experience. When I began the search for my genetic roots, I imagined all kinds of wild scenarios, but I never imagined I'd find not only the people but surviving artifacts of their lives.
On my biological maternal side, I've gotten to know my big sister and her daughters much better since we confirmed our genetic relationship through DNA testing about a year ago. We've celebrated birthdays and holidays a few times now, and its been a very fascinating and enriching experience on all fronts. I have one maternal Aunt who welcomed me and another who doesn't want any contact or conversation. It hasn't all been perfect, but it has all been much better than I ever dared to imagine it could be. So, I strongly urge you to take advantage of the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale on DNA kits by Ancestry. I have been doing this for a few years now, and I've never seen a lower price. Until Monday, the price is an unbelievable $59! That's $40 cheaper than the usual price and $20 cheaper than the best sale price I've seen. If not for yourself, buy a kit for your oldest living relative and send it in for him or her. The older the relative, the more clarity you can gain into distant relationships. You can always test later, but get grandma and grandpa now while the gettin is good. Learn about DNA and watch the magic happen when the results come in. You never now how much time we have left with our beloved Seniors. If everyone tested, the world would be much kinder/gentler place because they'd all see that we truly are related - just have to did a little deeper and go back in time a little further to find some of the connections.
