People I've Never Met

I have planned a reunion for my mom's family.  I may have blogged about this a number of months ago, but as things progress toward it, I get more excited about it, so I have to post about it yet again.

I have booked my flight.  I have yet to set up lodging, but I will get there.  I found a bed and breakfast that's just blocks from where my mom grew up, so that may be a good place.

I need to paint a little picture for you, so you can understand why I'm so excited about this.

My grandfather was married three times.  He had a daughter from his first marriage, which ended in divorce and my mother from his second marriage.  After my grandmother passed away, my grandfather married Eva Jones.  She raised my mother.  She was the only grandmother I knew.  She passed away when I was about 10; Eva was 97.

Me at age 8-ish (center), Eva (front)

My grandfather, J. Howard Stegner, was part of the Spokane Historical Society and kept a historical museum in the basement of his home. He passed away four years before I was born.  The last time I visited Spokane was before Eva passed away.

My grandfather in the museum.

I never knew this side of my family, but this is the connecting link with those I will get to meet:

My great grandmother - Matilda Greenfield Johnson Stegner Narup

Now, this is just half of the family that I'm getting together with.  The other side is my mom's mom's side--the Holz family.

My grandmother, Esther Dorothea Holz, passed away when my mom was a month away from turning 6.  My mother was her only child. 

These are her people:

My great grandparents (back left), my great, great grandparents (front right)

Through the joys of the internet, I now know two cousins from this line of my mom's family.  Today, another one verified that he was coming to Spokane for the reunion.  I can't wait to meet these people in real life.  I think my mother would be so happy!