Monday, October 11, 2010

Roots Run Deep

Maybe it's because I am adopted and have no way of knowing my biological heritage. Or maybe it's because I grew up so far removed from family. Whatever the reason, I have never given all that much thought or interest to my family roots. But today was a fascinating day of digging deep into the ancestral roots of my husband's family.

Mark's dad was born and raised in Connecticut, and his family made quite a name up here. His father was known for his chicks...of the poultry kind. He owned and ran a successful hatchery. And in his generosity, he donated my father-in-law's childhood home to the Baptists of CT. It was my grandfather-in-law's vision to see the development of a place for the elderly, and so the P- Memorial Home was established and renovated in order to accommodate a nursing facility.

Today we had the opportunity to visit the town where my father-in-law grew up. We stopped first at the little town museum, which features a wall of information on my husband's grandparents, the hatchery business, and the homestead.






 After a stop at the cemetery to visit the grandparents' graves, we were then treated to a beautiful luncheon at the retirement home followed by a tour of the home.



The second and third floors of my father-in-law's childhood home have not been touched, so we were able to see his bedroom,


run our hands down the bannister he slid down numerous times, and get a feel for what life was like back in the 1930s.
 


 

 Following our trip to the Memorial Home, we stopped by another home which, from the outside, just looked like a normal home. Arrangements had been made with the current owners of the home to visit because this was the home Mark's great-grandparents owned and one which they then passed on to Mark's grandfather. He took his new bride there.


Although the interior of this home was a mess, the preserved history was absolutely amazing. The house was built in 1782, and much of the original interior is still intact. From the flooring and ceiling beams to the doors and fireplaces, even the smell of the home, you could just feel all of the history in that home. The current owners are farmers, and the orchards in the back stretch out over an amazing view.




The beautiful fall colors, amazing sunny day, and intriguing stories all made for a lovely, perfect day. And we came home with a couple of bags of apples straight from the orchard.


5 comments:

tsinclair said...

Amazing, life has taken full circle and seems to have brought you (Pierce family) back home.

Elaine said...

How interesting. So Mark has moved back to his roots. Thanks for sharing this.

dclouser said...

I remember when we made that trip many years ago! Thanks so much for telling about your day and taking photos. Just wish we could have been there, too!

CrossView said...

Now that is some living history! I so don't relate. I've been a gypsy military brat all my life. ;o)

I take it your hubby is happy to be there? And I've been meaning to ask how the kids are adjusting?

Unknown said...

Excellent story! The east has more to offer than you originally suspected.

When the Boss and I investigated my family we discovered that my dad's grandfather owned a farm just a few miles away from where the Boss grew up. Geneology is cool!