I've been a very bad blogger.

Thank you to some inspiration from beyond the grave though, I realized that I needed to get back to this. I've been searching for my family members using the Access Newspaper Archive which is available for you to use free at your local family history center. I've been working on one chunk of family at a time trying to track down newspaper articles, announcements etc. I started with my dad's father's side of the family since it is one of the least documented lines I have in my tree. In my searching I've found a few little notes. Wedding licenses, polling notices, that sort of thing, but yesterday I found a real treasure. My Great-Grandmother, Marietta C. Stephenson Thomas published a poem in the Oakland Tribune’s Editorial Page on March 27, 1943.

He Shall Not Know

Why should I let him know

I cried when he went away:

‘Tis better to write of things

We did on another day.

I’ll write to him of starlight nights,

Warm rains and my cookie jar;

I’ll never write of gloomy things;

Some pleasure it might mar.

I’ll write to him of life at home;

The truth from him I’ll keep

That Oh! We miss him every day;

He shall not know I weep.

And so, I’ll write of pleasant things,

To bring him home a while;

And when I end my letter,

I’ll leave him with a smile.