I look into my grandson's eyes and see the year 1863 vaguely - a Navajo, imprisoned in the Bosque Redondo, an Apache in the orchards below the red cliffs of Carrizo Canyon, a Mormon with his many wives and scores of children

Yesterday was Lavina's birthday, so Margie drove into town, picked Kalib and Jobe up and brought them home. She did this so that Jacob and Lavina could go out and celebrate however they chose, free for one night of their responsibilities as parents.

In the evening, I sat with Jobe on my lap, Margie at my side.

Jobe was all attuned. I wonder what he heard?

When I looked into Jobe's face, for some reason my mind suddenly shot back to a very specific year, one that I was not here for - 1863. I tried to picture a selection of his direct ancestors, all at the same moment in that year. I saw a Navajo man, with his family, in custody and mourning at the Bosque Redondo. 

I saw an Apache man, with his rifle, ambling peacefully about among the corn fields and wild peach trees growing in the red earth beneath the red rock cliffs of Carrizo Canyon.

I saw a Mormon man, strolling amidst his fields, two or three of his seven wives walking with him and a dozen or so of his 63 children.

All of these events were taking place within a relative short distance of each other. Among these people were individuals who, if they met under the wrong circumstances, might have killed each other.

And then no Jobe would ever have been.

I don't know if any of these mental pictures that came to me were at all accurate.

I thought that I should give myself an assignment to trace Jobe's ancestry back to a certain day in 1863 and find out.

But how would I do that?

Ditto for Kalib, and his ancestry.

Comments

[Grandma Nancy]

Thanks again, Bill, for sharing your flights of thought with us. Sent me on my own journey back in time to the farmers back in Sweden with little plots of land and when dad died, it went to the eldest son, and so my ancestors immigrated to the farming/mining areas in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Micihigan. Wouldn't it wonderful if we would all work toward peace on earth, good will to men (and women) of every faith and persuasion. God bless.....

[CGinWI]

I love your verbal snapshot - it says so much.

[CynthiaC54]

Genealogy is a fascinating topic, but you put it in a whole new perspective. My dad and uncle traced their family back to 1066 -- they were Danish mercenaries who came to Britain with the Norman Invasion, liked the place, and decided to stay. But to trace the lines to one date -- it's a captivating thought!

And the boys are beautiful - and getting so big! Kalib looks almost grown!