Update Number Two

It’s kind of about time that I give another update of my time in Florida. Really, before I do, I just have to gush a bit about how I have another nephew! Little Carl Jacob Jeffery Rohleder was born on June 12^th! I’m really sad I won’t get to see him for another month, but he is so adorable from the pictures I’ve seen.

Photo Credit: Chris Rohleder

Honestly, it really stinks to be so far away from my family when something so exciting happens. It definitely solidifies my desired to always live close to my family (the Lord willing). Family means the world to me and I can’t imagine a future without them close. I’m sure it would break my heart if I had to live far away for very long.

Okay, sorry about the pity party. Now on to other exciting things, well I guess exciting for me… I’m learning so much about my family history. I’ve definitely even started to like some of my relatives over others and feel defensive when I hear stories of the relative saying anything bad about others. I’m weird. I know it.

The worst thing in all of this, is that most of the people I’m learning so much about (through their letters and stories that my great aunt is telling me) have passed away. I will never get to meet them and the most I can get to know them is through the things they left behind.

It’s still really cool to read the letters and know that the things they talked about actually went on in the past. I’ve seen letters as far back as the 1940s! It’s so cool and to think that it’s all a part of my history! It really changes your perspective when the pieces of history are related to people that are family, however distant.

One of my proudest accomplishments so far is actually puzzling out my great grandfather’s family picture. My aunt pointed out some people, but most of the children were unknown to her. Based on ages and a bit of deductive reasoning, I think I just placed a name to every face. Now, I can never be one hundred percent sure that I’m right, but I think I’ve gotten as close as anyone could get.

William & Letha are my great-grandparents. Paul is my great uncle. Edward August and Mary Elizabeth are my great-great-grandparents. Mary, Charlie, Sophie, Hattie, Edward, George, William, and Emma (listed in their birth order) are the children of Edward August and Mary Elizabeth. The rest are spouses.

And these are all the children of the various couples. All the kids ages are next to their names because that's partly what I used to figure out who each one was. Mary's oldest son I figured was not there at the time. His age suggests that he'd left home, maybe to get married, maybe to go to college. I don't know.

Other than those things, I’ve just mostly been reading and writing a bit. I can’t believe my trip is already halfway over. Before I know it, I’ll be back in Texas and real life, but I am sure having fun here.