Thanksgiving and my Clifford Ancestry

For Thanksgiving, we journeyed to my grandparents' home in Anderson, IN. For those of you paying attention, you'll realize that since I was in Anderson, I was likely visiting my father's side of the family and you would be correct. We had four generations in that tiny house on the outskirts of town - my grandparents, my parents, my aunt and one of my uncles, four of the six grandchildren, three grandchildren spouses and the three babies (my cousins' children). It got a little hectic that's for sure. And as the babies grow and start sitting at the table like the oldest did this year, I start to think we need a bigger table.

While there, I noticed a frame in the hallway with old photos in it. One was easy to figure out -- it was my great grandfather Cookman and I knew that because Grandpa looks just like him. Unable to figure anything else out, I went to my father. He knew that a couple of the photos were Grandma's parents (which I should have known because her father had the distinctive Forkner chin), but didn't know who anyone else was. So I pulled the frame off the wall and perched on the loveseat arm next to Grandma to ask her. I remember that one of the photos was of the Dobell family (my grandfather's side) and another was her grandfather and step grandmother.

Then Grandma pulled out her copy of "Clifford Ancestry", a book her brother compiled a few years ago. I paged through it, sharing interesting bits with the relatives near me and realized that there was information in there that I didn't have in my research. I asked if I could borrow it until Christmas and she conceded, upon agreement of death if I fail to return it. I'll probably make myself a copy before I return it.

And I plan to spend most of the day at work looking at my research and comparing it to the book.