I don’t know for sure, off the top of my head, how many cousins I have. More than 30. I’d have to go to the family tree chart and count. The photo here is from 2012, and it doesn’t come close to capturing everyone. And now two of them are gone. Tom only had five … read more All my cousins
Tag: ancestors
The King
Around town, they called him King. He was the only son of Louis Tyler, owner of a popular downtown store who served as mayor and played a silver coronet. The King was handsome. He had an air of smug certainty that life would go his way. It’s a photo I’d never seen before, a young man … read more The King
Through the lens
In the midst of the reunion, my cousin Gary pulled me aside. “I have something for you,” he said. “Is now a good time?” I hadn’t seen Gary more than a couple times in the past 45 years. I couldn’t imagine what he could have brought from Arizona for me, or why we needed to … read more Through the lens
Day 92: A life in three sentences
She married a crippled man who later disappeared. Of this union were born 7 children. They resided in Norwalk and little is known of them. This is all I know of Mary Tyler Meyers, one of my maternal great-grandfather’s nine siblings. Except for the bare dates of her birth and death, Mary Tyler Meyers exists … read more Day 92: A life in three sentences
Day 68: Stars aligned
I have a map of Germany with yellow stars, marking the stops of a trip for next spring. The stars do not mark tourist attractions. None of the names would be familiar to anyone outside the region: Kulsheim, Merdingen, Weisenheim, Dornberg… Until today, those towns were just words on a spreadsheet, matched up with names … read more Day 68: Stars aligned
Day 35: Powering down
When we were driving to the Cleveland airport yesterday, the traffic signals were out for miles and miles along the lake road. It was a bit spooky, but everyone was driving more cautiously. At intersections, people simply took turns, unregulated by police or lights. When I got back to Atlanta, Tom’s car battery was dead, … read more Day 35: Powering down
Day 29: A gathering in court
One Friday morning in March, a group of 20 men appeared before a judge in the Huron County courtroom. They were foreigners, part of a recent wave of immigrants who had rushed in seeking steady work and the possibility of a buying their own land and home. A new president had just been inaugurated, promising … read more Day 29: A gathering in court