LONGEVITY

      

                     Blanche Record Barnard

“And the sons become the fathers And the daughters will be wives As the torch is passed from hand to hand And we struggle through our lives Though the generations wander The lineage survives And all of us From dust to dust We all become forefathers By and by” ~ Dan Fogelberg

                               ******

I have often credited my interest in family history and genealogy to my grandmother, Katheryn Ogle Record. It's true, few could recite or connect the various generations of her own or my grandfather's family tree better than she. My grandmother rarely missed a beat when it came to the Who's Who of the family.

My grandmother didn't always have the answers though. She often referred me to "Cousin Barbara" on the more complex questions of my grandfather's Record family history. As I am won't to mention, I still rely on Barbara's work and her passion for the subject of genealogy. However, before Cousin Barbara, and yes, in some ways even before my grandmother (the former"Miss Kitty Ogle") there was someone else who kindled my interest in family history. 

Yes, before them them all there was someone else, and her name was Blanche.

Blanche Leona Record was my grandfather's first cousin. She and her husband Rufus Barnard were always background characters to me during the lives of my grandparents. Blanche and Rufus lived in Kansas and far away from us in good old Long Beach, California. Yet any mention of their names always brought smiles to the elders in my family. Any mention of their names usually meant news from "back home."    

       

I did not know Blanche Record Barnard very well. I can tell you though how influential she was to me in the study of family history. You see, for me, Blanche was in possession of the Holy Grail of my family history. She possessed something that the young and aspiring genealogist in me had never seen before. She had something that I had scarce imagined could even exist.

Blanche had a picture of "the ancient ones."

It was 1976, and I'd been on a road trip back to Kansas with my grandparents. I'll admit, I was somewhat bored when told that we would be stopping by to visit Blanche and Rufus. I was a dumbass twenty years old kid. Who cares? I must have thought. It will just be more old people remembering more old times. I certainly didn't expect to see or learn anything new about anything. 

Yet, there it was on the wall at Blanche's house. The most amazing picture I had ever seen. It was a picture of my great-great grandfather and his second wife Hester Schooley and his second family - the one from which I'd "sprung." I was amazed it existed. I was in utter awe.

               Above: The Record Family of 1897

    

How was it to that nobody had ever mentioned this to me before? Had anyone else ever seen it before?

Obviously, Blanche had. 

As we had walked into Blanche and Rufus's home I recall seeing a "shit-eating grin" on my grandmother's face. In the back of my mind I can hear her saying, "Jeff, come over here. Blanche has something you might be interested in." Looking back, I'm certain my grandmother and Blanche enjoyed keeping the secret of the old picture from me as a surprise. 

Blanche took me over to a small wall where it hung on a hook near a window. Taking the picture off it's hook she held it close before presenting it to me to examine. There was so much pride in her eyes. 

I had never seen a picture so old before. I had never stared into the face of my ancestors.

I was hooked.

Time moved on, and we returned to California. Blanche didn't forget me or my interest in our shared ancestry. A few short months later a package arrived. Inside there was a copy of the old picture - and a negative for future copies to be made from. 

It's because of Blanche's kindness to me that I am able to share "The Record Family of 1897" with you today. 

It's because of Blanche that we can "see" our ancestors - and keep them close.

However, there is something else I thought I would share with you about Blanche. In this day and age of "growing older" the discussion and question often comes up and about of:

"Who in the family lived to be the the oldest?

Many will say that it was Aunt Etta. And while it's true she lived a very long time it wasn't Aunt Etta. She did live to be ninety-four, and while she ranks in "the top ten" it wasn't her. 

          

Aunt Etta

  

                                       

Some will say it was Clarence Record who lived the longest. And while "Cousin Clarence" lived to be ninety-five, still it wasn't Clarence.

 

                                 Clarence

             

And maybe the answer really shouldn't come as no surprise. 

   

                                   Blanche 

              

      

You see in answer to the question of which  "Record" lived the longest, of who at almost age ninety-eight was the one who has (thus far) outlived literally everyone else, well, there can be only one answer, and the answer is of course...

 Blanche.

The same lady who held her ancestors close.

REST IN PEACE 🕊️