October 26. 2018
When we first connected with my grandfather's sister Margaret's family in 2016, I never imagined that such a "family union" could ever take place, flung to the four breezes as we all are.
Carson and Jane share Margaret as their grandmother. They've lived many decades with only minimal awareness of each other, and their connection to our McKnight family roots. For my own interest in family history eventually leading these cousins connecting for the first time in their "golden years," to be present when it happened, and to spend time sharing stories and memories together around our table, I am truly blessed. To my cousin Lee Ann for picking up the phone and calling out of the blue to make that first connection two and a half years ago, and to Carson's daughter Sarah immediately returning her call, my gratitude knows no bounds.
These old photographs came from our different families, handed down and somehow kept for all these years, and like us, appearing together now for the first time :). I'd imagine it would have been impossible for our great-grandparents with these three little kids to imagine us even existing 120 years in the future, let alone that we would gather across 3,000 miles of distance to sit together at a table. We are here, and here we are.
Three cousins together for the first time
The great-grandparents we share, Andrew and Margaret McKnight...
and the great-grandmother my cousins share...
The only known photo of my grandfather Andrew McKnight with his sisters
Gathered around great-grandfather fiddling at his 85th and final birthday party; young Jane is watching him.
Gathered round our table, 2018, a few minutes before the young McKnight fiddler (the great-great granddaughter) played for Jane one more time.
