Finding Lost Family

Witness: Cindy
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date of Encounter: 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.