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| Joined: | Tue Sep 16th, 2008 |
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While searching through an antique store I found the gray series of 52nd Virginia Infantry written by Robert J. Driver and leafed through it just out of curiosity and found lots family names. That was reason enough for me to buy it.
I was into reading other books and put the 52nd on the back burner for a while. Last summer, I revisited the book following along to their battles. Much to my surprise, while going through the book, my G-Grandfather's name popped up!
This started me on a yearlong journey to gather the facts about him. He was born in 1849 and signed up in the 52nd at the age of 12. I have nothing telling me at this point in time what he might have been doing at that young age.
All went well during the search, marriage, where he lived, how many children he had,etc. until attempting to find a death date. Here the info dried up. All the ancestry websites had nothing on his death date, I sent to Richmond to the Vital records, local library and found nothing.
After stumbling around with this this for 3 or 4 months, it finally dawned on me to try to find the funeral home that buried him. I new of an old funeral home in New Hope, Virginia, that had closed 55 years ago. I called all the funeral homes to see if they had those burial records needed and no one had them. I called an old friend to ask about the owners family and found the owners wife was still living.
This widow is one of the most active and youngest sounding 83 year old's I have ever known. I first asked if she had transferred her records and right of the bat she asked what was I looking for? She took the name and called me back the next day with the info. His death date was Feb. 12, 1923.
**Just a little addition to this, a family member informed me today, 14th June, my G-Grandfather was a blacksmith.
Maybe this will give you folks some Ideas. Never quit. Keep exploring all avenues.
Last edited on Tue Jun 15th, 2010 12:45 am by Old Blu