Those we know and don't

I have a grandfather I never knew (two, if you count the one who died before I was born). My grandmother got divorced when my mother was young. She always called her step-father Dad and when she referred to her biological father, it was Warren. She rarely referred to him. I was planning to write a term paper on my grandmother but I had to know more about her first husband. As my mother was the youngest in her family, I was able to talk to one of her sisters (and should talk to the rest of her siblings). I did this over Thanksgiving and had a very interesting experience. I have never liked that grandfather before, but now I realize that he really wasn't all bad. He didn't do everything right and there are many decisions that he made that nobody but maybe he would understand (like stealing to calves or political signs, or even starting a beaver farm). He had a gift to talk to people and get what he wanted. But my aunt still felt a little sorry for him with all he lost in the divorce and for other reasons. I feel a little sorry for him as well.

Also as I was talking to my aunt, I realized that the person I knew as Grandma Ashment isn't the same person she knew. It was even more evident with my Grandpa Ashment, my mother's Dad. I was a Grandpa's girl and loved to sit on his lap and always be around him. My aunt informed me that her children didn't feel that same way about him, and they confirmed that. They thought he was grumpy and didn't really like to be around him. They never thought of him as their grandfather. But to me, he was my only grandfather as my dad's father died before I was born and Warren wasn't a part of my mother's life so not a part of our either. I also found out that most of his step children didn't like him much. There had definitely been some family quarrels that involved him. It was weird to have a different point of view pointed out to me.

This is my first time blogging and I felt this was an appropriate title. I am still relatively new to genealogical research and much of the research I do is out of the United States. As a white American, my genealogy traces back to Europe. Many of my lines of ancestors came to the United States in the mid-1800s with the Mormon immigration. There are some good things and bad things about doing research in foreign countries. I am currently working with a Danish line and I am sure I will post about some of my research with that. I have also done a little with England research. Even though I speak and read English, it is still foreign in many ways. As I continue to learn about research processes and annoyances, I will be informing the few people who will read this blog. I hope they find it a little useful or enlightening. We shall see.