Reunion Report

I realized I've been so busy with work and attending the No HOW in Atlanta, that I hadn't written anything about the family reunion I attended. In short it was great to reconnect with my family. I discovered my dad had a ton of information on our family history. We have things traced back at least nine generations. The info goes back to the 1700s and the first guy that came here from Scotland. He landed in North Carolina, although we do not yet know why or exactly who his relatives were in the UK. So that will give us something for which to search.

My dad said he would mail me a copy of everything he has. There were mostly dates and places and names. Of course I am more interested in the stories which would help us understand what our ancestors were doing and thinking, what they were like and am I like any of them. There were a couple interesting stories that someone had recounted, but I won't post them until I get a copy of what my dad has. I did find out that my great, great, great grandfather at one time owned almost the whole county where I grew up. He gave it to his brother to manage, but his brother lost it in bad deals and gambling.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to see the "old home place" where my great grandfather raised my grandfather and his siblings. Then my grandfather raised my dad and his siblings there. It is still very remote. There are two ways to the farm. One is to park by the river at the bottom of the mountain, walk across the swinging bridge and almost straight uphill. The other way is to follow a narrow paved road until you get to a dirt road. After you travel a mile or so up the dirt road, you make a right, open a gate and drive a mile through a field. Trucks and SUVs are required!

With all the family history available, I realized that I didn't need to search for a new surname. My maiden name, Duty, is the right one. It may be unusual, buy my early relatives are folks of which I can be proud. It is my honor to carry this name. Get it? "Duty, Honor, Country" :o)


As you can see my little Mitsubishi wagon couldn't pass. You can catch a glimpse of my car in the upper right hand corner of the photo. This photo was taken from the back of my cousin's truck facing where we had been.


The farm is certainly located in a beautiful neck of the woods.


We reached the end of the rough, grassy trail and found the old house still standing.


his is the front of the house. I remember the porches on both the first and scond levels with porch swings and rocking chairs and a whole lot of laughter.


If you stand in the pasture that's in front of the house and look to your left, this is what you see. No wonder we mountain folk are teased for having one leg shorter than the other. :o)


Looking left-center in front of the house.


If you look to your right, this is your view.


According to genealogical information, our early ancestors came from Scotland. A thistle is a fitting reminder of our heritage.


I think this is the saddest image. A chair waiting for a soul to sit in it once more.


Leaving the farm