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| The Cornerstone |
Genealogists are always searching for breadcrumbs—tiny clues left behind in records, letters, and photos that help connect the past to the present. Sometimes, those clues come in unexpected forms, like a simple Christmas card.
In my case, one Christmas card changed everything.
It was addressed to my grandfather and his wife, "Mr. and Mrs. Fueston," and signed from "The Kids." What seemed like a typical holiday greeting held more significance than anyone realized at the time. The sender? My grandmother, writing on behalf of the children. The recipient? My grandfather, who had been married multiple times—six, to be exact, and his third wife.
At some point, one of his later wives (number three or four, but who’s counting?) decided that old photos and keepsakes weren’t worth keeping. She threw an entire box of photos into the garbage in San Francisco. Among them was that Christmas card addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Fueston.”
But fate has a way of intervening. Someone found that discarded box. Twenty years later, a promise made good to a friend, who was the finder of the box of photos—to find a Fueston from San Francisco was completed. That single card, that one breadcrumb, led to the discovery of family I never knew I had.
Because of that Christmas card, many more family connections have been uncovered. Photographs, stories, and histories long thought lost and or nonexistent were pieced back together. Since receiving the photos and Christmas card in the mail I’ve met cousins, built lasting relationships, and developed a branch of my tree that was otherwise a stripped down branch.
Previous stories written about another photo that was included in the box has led to the discovery of The Fueston Family Burial site in Nebraska. An earlier story is written and can be read here Wide Open Space. Also as a result the Fueston Family homesteads in Nebraska have been uncovered and the Nebraska Genealogy Society has taken on the task of publishing that story in the very near future.
It serves as a reminder that sometimes, the smallest things—a scribbled note, an envelope, even a holiday greeting—can be the missing link in a genealogical puzzle. And can and did connect family and cousins never even heard of.
So the next time you come across an old letter, a hastily signed greeting card, or even a name jotted down in the margin of a book, don’t dismiss it. It might just be the breadcrumb that leads to something incredible.
I appreciate our family stories they are full of heart, history, and a little bit of mystery—it’s a joy to help bring them to life. I love how finding these little breadcrumbs add emotion into genealogy work, making it feel like an adventure rather than just research. Can’t wait for the next story to develop!
Have you ever had a small clue open big doors in your family history research? Share your story in the comments!
And that's a wrap! Keeping family stories alive.
52 Ancestors 52 weeks, week 7
prompt: Letters and Diaries
Family Historian
Barbara
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