I have been avoiding this job for at least a year, and I cannot put it off any longer.  I wish that there was someone else who could help me, but I'm afraid that I'm one of the last in my generation who can do this.  When my mom was still alive, I tried (several times) to get her to go through things and give me names.  After a series of strokes, her memory was taken and the opportunity had slipped away.  What you're looking at is a HUGE pile of family photos.  After my mom's passing, Gary took them home with him (probably to try to make sense of them himself).  Now Gary is gone, Jan and I are it.  The problem is:  Jan lives back east, and is over
five years younger than I, so she doesn't have memories of the oldtimers like I do.

The photos are of both my dad's family and my mom's.  They are mixed together.  There are formal portraits and candid snapshots.  This is a formal plea to my cousins:   Ina and Claire....please come help me with this mess.  I have no idea where to start, and I need help.

I will feed you, and treat you like royalty if you will just come help me figure out who the Sheffers and Lunds ( not to mention Pettises and Hildreths) are.  Maybe Andy's notes could help.

In the meantime, I plan to continue standing at the doorway wringing my hands.

'Til later...