A Rose for Sharon
For many years now, I have posted the single pink rose image to my social media on August 19th and June 4th. Those who know me well know it is in honor of my little sister, Sharon, who died in 1994. Her birth date and her death date. That has been the extent of my communication about my sister or her life since. Thirty-two years is a long time to hold onto words. I have considered writing about her. It doesn't matter how deep my feelings are for her or how much I cherish her memory, the words don't come easily, if at all. Words feel cheap and wrong. It's hard to even describe why. Maybe it is because she was our family's: Our sister, our cousin, our niece, our daughter. We knew her best, so no one else should have the right to know about her like we did. Maybe that's why I hold onto my words. But I realize that if I don't tell her story, who will? I have spent hour upon hour researching my long-gone ancestors, yet I haven't written about my own sister. ...
A friend who was helping me translate birth records in Slovak explained the legitimate/illegitimate notation in church records. He said it refers to the father’s membership in the church. If the father did not attend or was not himself baptized, the child was recorded as illegitimate. That notation should not be interpreted as a child not recognized or living without a father. The parents may be in a civil marriage. I thought I’d pass that on in case it helps you in the future. 😊
ReplyDeleteHello "Unknown!" Hope you are well. Thanks for reading and responding with your info. I had not heard this, although I had heard that illegitimate might also mean the father had passed away. Makes me wonder why they did that. I appreciate the tip, it will come in handy in future.
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