I was going to work on my two workshop pieces assigned for next Tuesday for my class. But I got completely distracted. Through Facebook, I heard from Sue Lederer Geiger, claiming to be my third cousin through the Lederer family. Her great grandfather Julius Lederer was the brother of Clara Lederer Baumann, my great grandmother. So she was.
She's very interested in genaology, esp the Lederers. I had written a family history (typed!) in the 1970s which my mother loved to get out and talk about late in her life. I never had really done anything with it since. Whenever any kind of family history 'thing' was found, I always took it. So I found my drawer full of all kinds of stuff. Including pictures of her great-grandfather.
She was thrilled to get some of the miscellaneous things I had.
It's quite unusual (in my experience) for anybody to be interested in these mixed up artifacts that I have. Bit by bit, I'm getting these pictures organized. Who knows, maybe I will.
This picture of a young Julius is maybe the most mysterious. Sue thought he was in some kind of ceremonial New Jersey militia. This could be it. Who knows? It would be great to know what it was.
Very appropriate really as Dennis and I plan to go to Temple Beth Am this evening (at my request). This week is the first anniversary (yahrtzeit) of my mother's death. Customary to call out their name after the Kaddush prayer at the end. I called Beth Am (we are not members) and they agreed to announce her name. I have never marked my father's yahrtzeit but it's not a bad idea.
Quite a bit of correspondence earlier this week with my cousin and sister talking about the anniversary and the yahrtzeit. Seems like the right thing to me to go.
And maybe spending a large part of the day corresponding with a new cousin who can celebrate some of these artifacts. Julius Lederer was my mom's great uncle.
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