Week 6: Surprise!

     Well, I don't know about you, but last week's blog post was a difficult one. I really couldn't come up with much, so it was just a really short entry. It is what it is. Not ever topic can be exciting! Haha! This week's topic is "Surprise". That is a little easier to write about. I had to think about it for a little bit because I've had quite a few surprises in my journey. I learned my great Grandma & Grandpa Ilg lied about when they got married to hide the fact they got pregnant out of wedlock (OOOOOOO); I learned there were actually more Ilg relatives still alive today that I was able to get in contact with (BONUS!); I traced some of Mark's family to the town of Silverton, Colorado (a small town we actually didn't live far from and visited before we moved from Colorado); I tracked down an old Cash & Carry coin used at White Line Laundry where my grandma and grandpa worked at together; I've found out I'm related to some of my friends (It's a small world after all); and that's just a few of the surprises I have encountered on this journey.
     Out of all these (and more) surprises, I'd have to say, the biggest surprise I had in my journey had to do with Mark's 2nd great grandfather, Capt. Joseph Henry Rickards. It all started with Mark's mom showed us his sword he had from the Civil War. It was beautiful! We knew we were related to him, but did not know where or how far back the connection went. So I went to work. It didn't take long to make a connection to him. Researching him has definitely been full of surprises. If you click on the link on his name, you can read about him. But the biggest surprise I received came from a long lost cousin.
     Through my research, I got acquainted with Bob Richardson. He is a descendant of Capt. Rickards as well. His grandpa is the youngest son of Capt. Rickards. I was so happy to be in touch with him. He had been doing research for a long time and had filled me in on a lot. Including the fact he was once the sheriff of Liberty, Missouri and had a run in with Jesse James (yes this is documented in book and at the local museum in Liberty). But the biggest surprise was he actually had photos of Capt. Rickards and his family. Oh my gosh, I literally jumped up and down screaming when I got that email. Mark and Sancia thought I was crazy! You gotta understand, I love pictures. And to put a face with the man I'd been researching for so long was just mind blowing! I honestly never thought we would find one with it being that far back.

Capt. Joseph Henry Rickards

abt 1865

     So that was the best surprise I've gotten though my journey through genealogy as of yet. I know there will be more to come, and I can't wait. It's the surprises that keep me coming back for more. If I had to choose my second biggest surprise, it would be finding out my 3rd great grandma was actually not my 3rd great grandma by blood. Read about it here ---> Huge Shock! More to come and I can't wait!