Facebook isn't exciting, it's just become part of my everyday life. I like to post strange quotes that come to mind or that I hear on TV (my favorites are MASH's Frank Burns quotes). Facebook has helped me reconnect with cousins I'd lost contact with over the years and I get a glimpse into the lives of my four nieces. It's also great for keeping my family and friends updated on my travels.
One of the best things about Facebook though is connecting with family members who I never knew existed. Almost three years ago I connected with a cousin in Denmark. We're 2nd cousins once removed, a fairly close relationship but our families were separated by war, time and distances. Earlier this year we met for the first time when I visited Denmark. Two days ago I noticed someone from Israel in a Facebook research group with a surname that is in my family tree. It's not a common surname, plus she was asking the group about the townlet of Zalesie (near Lukow), Poland (see http://sharon-genealogy.blogspot.com/2011/05/zalesie-no-zalesie.html ). What are the odds of someone having that surname and asking about this town so tiny that it doesn't show up on some maps? Well, it turns out that we're 5th cousins once removed. Not a close relationship and the family ties were probably severed by the 1870s when my ancestors was moving east across Poland to new lives in larger cities while her ancestors stayed in Zalesie and Lukow.
We just had a two-hour Skype call, sharing personal info and details about our ancestors. It's the first of many exchanges I hope. With my research slowing as I'm running into the end of available records in the Old Country these major advances are few and far between. I'll take them wherever I can, even Facebook.
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