Saturday, February 8, 2014

Can't We All Just Get Along?


I have a sister who is a peacemaker. Good for her. Perhaps she should have lived back in our grandfathers era. One of my new initiatives is what I recently wrote about, searching newspapers. I will write more from time to time on my Cragun and other family discoveries.

I am finding, and posting good things, interesting things, but some not so pleasant discoveries on family tree; notices of lawsuits among brothers, my fathers uncles for example. Even suing over water rights more than once. I hadn't planned on finding this type of information. It makes for a few questions about their family legacy. They are direct first generation descendents of four Cragun siblings who were pioneers. A couple crossed the plains as babies.

What kind of legacy is this? Do we believe we will be together in a later life? I do. Do we think we will have interactions with our families then? I do. Will we be basically the same people, having the same personalities and issues? I believe so. So then what?

Perhaps we should take the follow of my good sister - let go of grudges. I was involved in  a conversation today with a some good people, one having troubles with family injustices. It made me think, how am I doing?

Perhaps I can be doing better with cousins, siblings, and other family members; how about you? I wonder now, if those great Uncles have made any progress. They are all gone from here now - I wonder how it is for them.

This newspaper research is interesting with interesting finds. I guess we all are creating a legacy; some good some needing to be better however. For the record, family tree allows us to post our stories. As living people they are only seen by those we give permission. Perhaps we should be posting our stories, written by us. Stories are a part of memories section now; I have some good ones I have entered there; currently 24 stories. They go live to the public when I am deceased. You could do that too. I wish my great Uncles had provided us some of their stories, I plan on looking them up on the other side, if you know what I mean. 

Yet, I am on this side and could use some better relationships, as could some of my siblings and cousins with each other. I'm willing, even anxious - "Can't We All  Just Get Along?" 

Larry your brother and cousin Cragun.

PS: I was raised in Idaho, lived most of my adult life in Washington State. My grandfather lived much of his life in Pleasant View Utah. He, Simeon Cragun's first wife, Mary Ann Clifford, died when he was 41 years old. They had 6 children at that time. Eight years later he married my grandmother, Blanche Bingham. She had has some disappointments in life and I am told was hoping for a peaceful life with Simeon. She was 21 when she married Simeon, he was 49. They had five children and Simeon adopted a son, Reuben with her. Her pictures show  her as good looking. I lovingly call her the trophy wife. One of their sons is still living and 90 years old. I asked him to discuss how it was with the step brothers and it was not a topic he would discuss other than to say it wasn't good. His mother was only 7 years older than Levi the youngest of Mary Ann's children. So a rift between our two families seems to have begun. How long will it last?

Man, there must be a lot to overcome in the eternities to come, I think I will seek to be more like my sister, be a doer  here on earth.

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