History told by our collections

My mom's family has quite a few heirloom pieces that I hope to have in my home someday. Between my younger sisters and my cousins, I am sure many will be spoken for and quickly. For myself, it starts with the letters my mom's dad wrote to my grandma while they courted in the early 1940's. If I can ever master our English language and find a way to put words to paper, there is a book to be shared. What about the other things that are in various corners of my aunt's home? Late 1800's clothing, jewelry, not to mentioned an old top hat and china my grandma kept.

Our story of American history is not only passed through our families, it is passed along in the craziest of places; garage sales, antique stores and with a watchful eye, flea markets. Finding old pieces and learning the story behind them fascinate me.

I have tried several times to track down my grandma's family, once finding "new" relatives. If it weren't for the internet and such family tree websites, I may never have bridged that connection. I don't keep in contact, but my aunt exchanges emails now and again with my grandma's aunt's family. My great grandmother passed away shortly and giving birth to my grandma. It was my great-great grandmother who immigrated with her sister from Scotland to Canada and finally to America. While it continues to intrigue me, my youngest sister has since taken this searching by storm.

We share the same enthusiasm for our family history. Each of us spending hours upon hours searching, hoping to find a new connection. So far I have made the biggest find, but I hope we aren't done.

Questions remain and I hope to put the pieces together. Who owned a 40 room lodge in Saskatchewan? How exactly am I related to Thomas Dewey?