Monday Musings

So why did I start this blog anyway?

I think it goes back to who I am and the influences my family has had on me.  It also has to do with the many moves my family has made.  Then of course, there are the family reunions we went to when I was younger.

I was born in West Virginia, lived in Lory, WV for a couple of years (I don't remember it), then moved to North Carolina.  After a couple of years we moved back to West Virginia and lived in Danville.  From there we moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and then to Albuquerque, New Mexico, before coming back to Danville, WV.  All of these moves gave me a sense that I needed an anchor.  I found that anchor to be family.

Except when we lived in New Mexico, we would always go to the KEENER family reunion.  It was for the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of E. H. KEENER, my great grandfather.  He and his wife Nettie raised five girls and a boy.  Every year we would gather at my great aunt and uncle's house in Greenbank, West Virginia for a weekend of catching up.  It was great for us kids, too, because there were a lot of us and we were all about the same age.

I really miss those reunions.  We haven't had one in about 15 years or so.  I think the younger cousins who have never been to the reunion are missing something.  One of the highlights was always the "home movies".  It was fun to see our parents and grandparents when they were younger running around and carrying on.

So I guess genealogy is for me, a way to connect to those relatives and ancestors I have never met.  And this blog is hopefully a way I can stay connected.  What does genealogy mean to you?  Does your family hold reunions?