Uncle Joe ....... So what's the big deal?

My dear penpal in Ireland, Irene, wrote to me this week,

Katie,
"A dear cousin who was most interested in my family research died recently and we were so moved when we found he had chosen "What a Friend we have in Jesus " for his funeral."

Irene is the 1st person to share a personal story in their life, with a connection of Joseph, with me. Gave me a strange feeling. I never thought anything about him when I was a kid or growing up. It's only now as I'm older and starting this blog that I'm trying to look at him differently. Learning that Joseph's life is still helping people in today's world.


When you grow up knowing your related to someone - it's no big deal. There's none of that hero worship or stars in the eyes, whatever you want to call it, that people on the outside of the family circle have. You just take it for granted and don't really think about it.

"Who? Joseph Scriven. Oh yeah that guy ... he's one of my older uncles or something. Wasn't he sort of Grandma's brother or ??? " ( Kids- what do they know )

To my older relations he was just Uncle Joe, and of course that filters down to thru the kids. He was ggGrandma's brother, like anybody else on the family tree. Their only another name when you get back that far. And just like some other important names. After all he died almost 124 years ago.

So now I look at Joseph and try to see he's not just a name in the past. Some old relatives name to fill in a blank on the family tree. He is part of my family, part of my ancestry, & I am really connected to this man who is so well remembered and thought of. Who helped so many people way back then and still does today. It's an odd feeling knowing that soooo many people in the world, know about of one of your relatives. Not to learn about for a history test or just a name in a dusty old encyclopedia set- oops! I mean wikipedia . But that people think about him, actually talk about him, and he's helping them in their daily lives NOW -TODAY.

I think he would be dumbfounded, to look down thru the years, and see that his words & life, really affected people and he is so well remembered and spoken of. When so often in his own time, it seemed no-one was listening.

Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Irene.

Happy Trails, Katiebird