Serendipity
A Professional's Helper
by J. Rogers
My e-mail address is jrogers@cherokee.net
and I
live in Oklahoma.
During the 30 years that I have been
doing genealogical
research, I have had so many extraordinary experiences that
it is difficult to decide which experience to relate! It no
longer startles me (as it once did), in fact- I find myself
depending upon help from the Spirits.
In one of the more recent experiences, I was working on two totally unrelated client's files (I'm a professional). One name started with the letter "H", the other with the letter "R".
As a matter of standard routine, I checked both of the ancestor's names in a printed index to 56 rolls of microfilm that I have in my library. While the ancestor's full names were not listed in the index, I did find the names of two (possible) siblings.
Since the microfilm is roughly arranged alphabetically, the two rolls that I needed were far apart in the numbering sequence; roll #26 for client "H", and roll #46 for client "R".
I took both rolls of film from the rack to my reader. The first one ("H") was obviously no relation to the client. I took it off of the reader and loaded the roll for client "R". I rushed through the page numbers to view the proper file for client "R"; no relationship!
I started to rewind the second roll -- the record just before the record that I was viewing for client "R" -- (did you guess it?) was the records of the direct ancestor that I was seeking for client "H"! -- NOT listed in the index and totally out of alphabetical sequence!
There is no doubt in my mind; I would never have found the eight pages of genealogical information for this client without the help of "my genealogical helpers" -- the Spirits.
I'm native American -- I don't know that this, in itself, has anything to do with it. But as an Indian, I am very aware of the power of the Spirit world and do allow myself to be guided (in all things) by an inner instinct.
Try it!! It may work for you.
Submitted: Sat Oct 4 23:26:05 1997
