Genealogy doesn't just trace our ancestors, it also describes the history, family by family, of our country, and tells the story of how we became the people we are. I'm taking some license this time, to describe the backstory of a person I'm not related to and have never met, along with a family member who is not a direct line ancestor, but my favorite aunt. (Genealogy can be about the 1950's as well as the 1850's, right?)
I flew to Georgia to visit my aunt to join the family celebration of her 90th birthday. And as families do, we were sitting around remembering people and their stories. My aunt suddenly turned to me and said, "oh, did I tell you Emily Campbell passed away?" No, she did? That's so sad, Aunt Lucy. I"m really sorry to hear that.'
Let me tell you a little about my Aunt Lucy's friendship with Emily Campbell. They first met at Oxford College in Georgia back when it was a 2-year school. My aunt lived down the street, Emily Campbell came from nearby Mansfield, Georgia. Lucy and Emily became close friends. After two years at Oxford, they both went away together to finish up their next two years at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.
They continued as close friends their whole lives, up until Emily died in 2009. So I have heard about Emily Campbell all my life. On her way to visit Emily, my aunt would stop off at our house. Or on the phone, "I was just speaking to Emily Campbell, and . . . " One year the two even vacationed together. Great friends for about 70 years. Below the Kos Squiggle, I'll tell you what I found out that was so surprising to me.