Day 9 (August 30, 2008)
All good things must come to an end, or at least be delayed until the next time. In this case, we had come to Nebraska looking for records on family and were leaving with a ton of data to review for months to come, yet this is likely just a fraction of what is still available to be found. And like the treasure hunter, we will be back for more.
On the 9th day, we had our usual breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and drove westward to Fort Morgan. The plan was to try and stop there and see if we could locate Grandma and Grandpa Smalley graves in Riverside. Brian had called during the week and located information on where they were buried. So after about 5 hours of driving, we arrived in Fort Morgan, Colorado and stopped for a bio break and some foodage... closest fast food was Burger King. A few frys and charbroiled burgers later, we were in the car, driving to the cemetery. There, we were able to quickly find Grandpa Smalley's headstone, but Grandma did not have one, although the caretaker confirmed that she had been laid to rest there.
A few pictures later and out to Denver area to visit with Terry and Linda. We had thought it would be great, while we had time, to visit relatives and this seemed like the best place to stop. It had been years since Brian had seen either Terry or Linda and it was a wonderful reunion. While on the way there, we also asked if we could get John and Donna to join us as well as Rick and Francis.
That night we had a wonderful meal cooked by Terry and Linda, then retired late.
Day 10 (August 31, 2008)
Morning approached too quick and a cup of home brewed java, some sunshine, and the rest of the family was awake. We talked of the family and shared pictures of loved ones and their families. We tried to review most of the 2000+ pictures which had been taken by Steve and Brian along the last 9 days, but it was a lot of data to even look at in its raw form, much less make sense of most of it. Either way, Mom did a great job at reporting on all the stops and the family discoveries.
Mid-morning came and we had the whole gang in tow... Donna, John, Rick, Francis, Terry, Linda, Mom, Dad, and Brian. We headed to Johnson's corner for some lunch... It was good to see all my family in the same spot, catching up on the news, talking about politics, the economy, and business. Rick and Francis had to leave right after lunch for a prior commitment, so the remainder of the pack retreated back to Linda and Terry's for some further conversation.
Parting is such sweet sorrow and it was at that... John and Donna returned home and the day turned to night. It was a wonderful time spent with the family and the memories will last for a long time. It was getting late, so we turned in for the night as the next day would soon be here.
Day 11 (Sept 1, 2008)
Brian had to be at the Airport by 10am, to catch his flight back to Arizona, so we had a quick breakfast, too short of a good bye, and were off to the airport - Mom, Dad and Brian. We said our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch. Little did Brian realize that the results of this trip would require an extensive amount of effort to decompress and turn into tangible results, but the effort is worth it.
Each day we learn about ourselves and others through the very interactions within our environment. We move forward in time focused on the next task or milestone ahead. It is always important to stop and reflect on how you got to where you are and most importantly to consider your ancestors who helped you get there!
Until the next trip, thanks for joining.
The END.
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