Albemarle Tradewinds August 2016 Web Final
August 2016
August 2016
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Northeast North Carolina Family History – talents…<br />
By: Irene Hampton - nencfamilyhistory@gmail.com<br />
Have you ever wondered if your ability to do something was inherited from an ancestor? Do you remember stories of talents family members had and if so,<br />
have you passed those memories on to current generations?<br />
Our youngest son recently proposed to his girlfriend using a Disney theme and singing his own version of a song from “Tangled” to go along with it. If you have<br />
nothing better to do, search “Seth and Lexi proposal” on You Tube – it’s pretty cute! As a family, we all enjoy singing, but I recall my mother stating that her<br />
father (who died before I was born) had a beautiful singing voice and would fill the country church they attended with his singing. She remembered with<br />
particular fondness listening to him at Christmas. I don’t remember my mother every singing much, but she loved to listen to opera, which I found rather odd<br />
for a country girl raised on a prairie farm. I never did learn where that interest came from.<br />
Now, my mother could sew, in fact she sewed my wedding dress. Her mother had been a milliner and as the oldest of eleven children, growing up during the<br />
depression, my mom learned to make her own patterns and sew for an ever expanding family. Me, on the other hand, could only sew when my mother was in<br />
the same room. Patterns are like a math equation that never seems to totally make sense. I can do basic repairs and sew a straight line, but that’s about my limit.<br />
My mom was also amazing at figuring out how to solve a problem. I’ve mentioned before that she was taken out of school after the eighth grade to help on her<br />
family farm. What she didn’t learn in school, she learned from necessity and would come up with solutions. Our oldest son is very much like her in that respect.<br />
He will mull a problem around and come up with a thoughtful and straightforward solution. I must admit we miss having that ability around as he lives so far<br />
away!<br />
My mother was also an artist of sorts. She loved photography and hauled a decent sized camera around on her 98 pound body. She also enjoyed pottery and did<br />
some painting, all skills that seem to have bypassed me. But I have a cousin who is a well known Canadian prairie artist, and a nephew who is really talented at<br />
black and white photography. My husband is a good photographer and did some excellent drawings<br />
back in college. His youngest sister is a painter, too – hmmm – I’m feeling rather left out at the moment!<br />
<br />
Some talents are less obvious. I know people who are always smiling and bring a spirit of happiness with<br />
them. Some people listen very well. My father was one of those people. Everyone was comfortable<br />
around him and he quietly listened through life. Which is now frustrating as he spoke so little about<br />
what he thought, making my recollections of him so slim…<br />
Think about those around you – include yourself. What stories of abilities can you remember and have<br />
you shared what they were and perhaps how they were acquired with your family? There’s a hot summer’s<br />
homework assignment for you – and write them down, too.<br />
Irene Hampton earned a Certifi cate in Genealogy<br />
from Brigham Young University and worked as the<br />
Genealogical/Local history Researcher for the Pasquotank-Camden<br />
Library for over 12 years. She has<br />
also abstracted and published “Widow’s Years Provisions,<br />
1881-1899, Pasquotank County,<br />
North Carolina”; “1840 Currituck,<br />
North Carolina Federal Census” and “Record of<br />
Marriages, Book A (1851-1867) Currituck County,<br />
North Carolina”.You may contact her at<br />
nencfamilyhistory@gmail.com.<br />
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