August 14, 2006
Finding Lost Family
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Cindy, Chicago, Illinois, July 2000
I had just began doing my family tree and all I had was 3 generations
on my paternal and maternal side. I put my great-grandmother's maiden
name, Pinnow, on a genealogy Web site. My grandma died in 1971 when I
was 7. I received an e-mail from an uncle with the last name Pinnow.
After discussing relatives we found out we are directly related. He had
been doing genealogy for 35 years. A family reunion was coming up and I
drove from NC to Wisconsin for a Pinnow family reunion in Beloit. I
ended up finding over 3,000 to add to my family tree.
The following afternoon, I was sitting on a recliner in my parents'
home reading. I was the only one home. I suddenly smelled my great
grandma's perfume. I hadn't smelled it in over 30 years! But, somehow I
just knew it was my great grandma's. I proceeded to get up and look for
plug-in air fresheners, potpourri, candles, anything that would have
that fragrance. I found nothing. I sat back down in the recliner,
continued to smell her perfume, then felt prompted to look out into the
middle of the living room. I felt the presence my great grandma standing
right in front of me. She seemed to be so grateful and happy that I
found the rest of her family. I knew she was there although I saw
nothing. Then in an instant the fragrance of the perfume was gone. I
told my parents when they came home later. My dad told me that she was
probably feeling gratitude to me for finding her family.
