Christmas Poems 1997-1999

  HEAR YE     HEAR YE
 
Gather 'round all ye brethren from far and near.
In the manner of our ancestors of olde,
We are here with a proclamation for you to hear,
So listen well, as our wish is told.
 
Remember the past with appreciation,
For all your ancestors and forebears,
Who overcame numerous trials and tribulations,
As they traversed across America amidst worries and cares.
 
Embrace the present with love and affection,
For your parents, your siblings and your children;
Along with all your known and not yet known relations,
Your aunts and uncles and your near and distant cousins.
 
As we look forward to the future with anticipation,
We wish for a healthy and Happy New Year for you and your kin,
With bright possibilities for all your next generations,
Now and into the next millennium.
 
1997

When we've gone camping throughout the years,
We've traveled in many states, far and near,
Looking forward each and every day,
To meeting old and new friends along the way.
 
We've played cards and Sequence and Mexican Train,
And walked with our dogs in the sun and the rain.
We've learned some crafts, and shared Pot Luck,
And joined for breakfast of biscuits and gravy for a buck.
 
We hope it will be our fortunate fate,
To meet you again, down the road, in 1998.
For now we wish you Merry Christmas and a Joyful Holiday,
Plus good times, good health, and fellowship every day.
 
1997

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
 
1998 and a new year for research, "And genealogy is fun", I reminded myself,
As I obtained some paper and a clip board from the shelf.
"But why did I pick a cold, cold day in January,
To canvas tombstones, in an old church cemetery?"
 
Then on Lincoln's birthday, the 12th of February,
When reading the Christian County, Illinois census for 1850 at the library,
I found Abe himself, with his son, Todd, and his wife, Mary,
Listed near my Great-Great-Grandpa William Young and his family!
 
On a windy day in March in northern Oklahoma,
We found records of Newt Johnson's homestead near Waynoka,
And visualized how our ancestor's grit was displayed,
When they farmed the land, there in the Oklahoma red clay.
 
April and taxes, and I remember another government employee;
The census taker in some mountains in North Carolina in 1830.
He requested extra pay be authorized for he and his horse,
Due to the rough terrain and elusive people with manners coarse.
 
May flowers for Memorial Day, and we think of ancestors in the Civil War,
Some who, after it ended in May 1865, migrated to new homes afar.
Resolvo Lovan, William Young and James Black; our interest is piqued;
We solemnly research and plan to tour at Gettysburg and Wilson Creek.
 
1812 - United States declares war against Great Britain, 18th of June.
1917 - First American troops land in France, 26th of June.
1944 - D-Day, 6th of June.  1950 - South Korea invaded, 25th of June.
We lament all wars; and chronicle ancestors who marched to military tunes.
 
July 4th we celebrated our nation's Independence Day with fireworks,
Then, researching at some Courthouses, helped by friendly clerks,
We studied trial proceedings, marriage records and land deeds,
Plus estate papers and wills; and we learn the true meaning of living free.
 
August is a great month for visiting, and family get-togethers;
Pouring over old snaps, seeing familiar faces, identifying others;
Sharing nostalgic memories with long-known kin from our adolescence;
Meeting new found cousins and comparing genealogical experiences.
 
We plan to visit several different schools come September,
Picturing in our minds, the old desks and ink wells that we remember,
Where students studied Readin', 'Ritin', and 'Rithmetic as they ought,
And where our ancestors attended and some later taught.
 
October, and time for our annual trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico,
For the 10 day Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, plus some craft shows.
While visiting with relatives there, we get data on their families,
And research at the library to help chart their Pedigrees.
 
In November, we remember our Pilgrim ancestors, from across the sea,
Who had the first Thanksgiving the Fall of 1622 in Plimonth Colony.
And we recall the Fergusons, Hogans, Cochrans and many other families,
Of the Tennessee wagon train who arrived November 1871 in Missouri.
 
December has arrived and we think "Yes, genealogy is fun,
"And interesting, frustrating and informative all rolled into one."
But now it is time for us to relax and enjoy this Season of Good Cheer,
And to wish you in 1999 a Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year!
 
1998

A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
 
Gonna take a Sentimental Journey;
Hope to learn more about our ancestor's histories;
Gonna seek more of our family names;
Where they worked and from where they came.
 
Got my notebook, pencils and computer,
Sent out Family Sheets with all my letters.
Waiting to hear my telephone ring,
Expecting a call from my second cousin.
 
Now I wait in eager anticipation,
Looking forward to some definite confirmation.
Counting every ancestor line I track,
That takes me another generation back.
 
Never thought my heart could be so yearning,
As I continue with my learning;
Looking through libraries, cemeteries and archives,
Wanting to know more about my ancestors' lives.
 
And as I continue my sentimental journey,
My love grows for friends and family.
So now I pause to wish all of you,
A Blessed Christmas, and a Peaceful New Year too.
 
1999

Back to Letters from Grandpa Ferguson's Desk

This page was last updated January 10, 2001.