I’ve not been posting much in the past week for a few reasons: Mostly, I haven’t had the time with the kids out of school for the past 10 days, managing all of their transportation to and from activities.

And, as I was getting ready to head out to a family party on New Year’s Eve, I received two email messages from Katie’s granddaughter — it included a treasure trove of photos and documents ahead of our visit in about 12 days!

I could barely contain myself as I opened the photos and files she sent me. She has no idea how much I appreciate this gift; nor how humbled I am at having received this amount of information. Katie’s granddaughter told me in the note that it wasn’t much — but oh, I disagree!

The files included several photos of Emmett (one I’d seen before, but this one is the original, with the photography studio’s name and address on it); a new photo of Dr. F.C. Wilson smoking a long pipe;  two of Katie as a young girl, and one of Katie and her brother, Walker, in front of the Washington Monument (which I suspect Emmett might have taken, as Walker was visiting Emmett at the time).

The most significant item she sent me, though, was a seven-page narrative that Katie Wilson Meade wrote, herself, about her childhood in Belize! There is so much information in there about the Wilson family, specifically Emmett and Katie’s mother, the house they were born in, their godparents, and anecdotal stories about the Wilson family’s life in Belize.

This narrative fills in a number of information holes for me! (I can only imagine what information Emmett’s missing scrapbooks hold….)

So, since the 31st, I have been sitting here with this new information, digesting it slowly, thinking about how or if it changes my approach to Emmett’s story. I think the good news is that a lot of the information I’ve received from the photos and the narrative confirms my perception of Emmett. My biggest worry in writing his story is that I misread him, misinterpret him. So far, this new information pretty much confirms that I’m on the right track.

I don’t have Katie’s granddaughter’s permission to use the photos yet. I’ll let you know when I do.

A good old New Orleans praline and a cup of tea to enjoy as I study the new photos and files! These were also gifts this Christmas!

How blessed am I? Very.

2016 is off to a wonderful start. I hope this year is wonderful for you as well!

Categories: Book Congressman Family Research Status

jsmith532

Professor,
Communication, Arts, and the Humanities
The University of Maryland Global Campus