Don’t Forget to Ask – Why?

My sister and I looked in vain for over twenty years for our great-grandmother, Josephine Dell DuPree’s grave. She isn’t buried next to our great-grandfather, Ira DuPree, in the graveyard where many of our family members are.

This great-grandmother is the one I wrote into my first novel, Grave Consequences. I didn’t change her first name. She lived and died so long ago, and the story isn’t really hers, it’s loosely based on that missing grave. Only one more little snippet in the book involving Josie is true.

This week, I watched a video on YouTube by one of my favorites in the genealogy world, Lisa Lisson. I told y’all about her last week. Her videos are short and very informative, and I love her blog, Are You My Cousin? (It seems as if everyone is!)

Don't Forgett to Ask - Why? @DDuPreeWilliams #genealogy #faith #writing Share on X

WHY?

In this video, Lisa tells us the number one question we should ask when standing in a graveyard or cemetery. Why? I’m sure Sissy and I stood there and asked that when we found Grandpa Ira’s grave. Why isn’t Grandma Josephine here? That was our initial question, but it was followed by why this place? Why this church. All these whys led Sissy and me to look further into the records we knew to research. We found a marriage record for a Josephine DuPree and an Isaiah Burdeshaw.

WHAT DID THAT RECORD SAY?

Shocked?  That doesn’t begin to tell that story. But was this our Josephine? The birthdates matched. She was ours.

This part shows up in my book but with a different last name assigned to the people, and the real events changed to fit the story I told. Josephine’s story is so convoluted, if I tried to explain it, you’d just be left scratching your head.

Armed with additional info, off we went searching again. We didn’t find a grave for a Josephine Burdeshaw, but it is possible she’s there somewhere and we missed her. There are lots of  cemeteries we didn’t get to.

Grandma Josie really did marry this man. There’s a discrepancy about whether his name is Isaac or Isaiah. Census takers all had to be able to write, but from what we’ve seen, they didn’t have to know how to spell. If you’ve searched old records, you know what I mean. You should see the spelling of my first name on my original birth certificate. Believe me, Debra/Deborah has never been spelled so absurdly. I had it legally changed when I was sixteen. I’m a Debra.

YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING!

Not only did she marry this man, she had a baby by him. But he up and left her and took the son with him. Mean as a snake? Old cuss? Scoundrel? We don’t know the particulars. But it caused us to ask again—why?

I still have so many questions. Things that likely won’t be answered on this earth. But what a reunion we’ll all have in heaven. God willing.

When you’re out there looking through records but especially those graveyards and cemeteries, don’t forget to ask—why? Especially if things don’t seem right.

I’m so glad we know what we do, and I’m thankful I can still ask questions. I pray I get answers one day. I hope you do, too. Happy hunting!

Blessings, y’all!

Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful scenes of any post I’ve done.  I hope this blesses you this week.