Thrown Under The Bus By Love (And I Jumped Right In)

By Mary Graybill

Originally published on The Leaf on the Tree

In between my two spinal surgeries, I attended my first Kline Family Reunion, just two months before our wedding.   I was happily blending into the crowd, enjoying the day as I met new family, when I heard my name in conversation from the group.

"Mary'll do it!"

"Yes!"

I blinked.  "What!?"

What did I just agree to?

Turns out my soon-to-be mother-in-law had just volunteered me to track down the descendants of Josiah Kline, born in 1840, in hopes of building a larger family tree, thus improving attendance for the upcoming 100th Josiah Kline Family Reunion.  I didn't hesitate.  "Sure!" I said.  And down the rabbit hole I went--again.

This time, thee search felt different.  The Kline family history was practically in my backyard--literally.  If I walked outside and had x-ray vision through the mountain, I could probably see Wolfsville, Maryland, where it all began for Josiah Kline.  These weren't just names on a page; they were connected to the very ground I walk on.

There were questions to answer, stories to clarify, and some surprises--like discovering that Josiah had two stepdaughters.  My mother-in-law, driven by love and tradition, wanted answers, and I was all to happy to go digging.

Compared to what I was able to piece together for the Kline Reunion, my grandmother's tree may have been smaller, but both opened my heart in different ways.  One was a tribute, the other became a mission.

I'm ever so grateful that I've ha the opportunity to research both my family and my husband's.  I'm nowhere near done.  But the stories I've found--the moments in history that shaped who we are today--have changed me.  I look forward to discovering more and sharing them with you, because I believe that's what family history is truly about:  passing on the love, the strength, the hope, and the courage of our ancestors to the next generation.

Thank you for being here.  This is just the beginning.