Arriving in Northern Ireland was an emotional time for me. At last, I was in the land of my mother's birth! Wow! I also anticipated meeting my aunt Ruby McDowell (Mother's half-sister) and five cousins.
We met Cousin Pat Allen in a pre-arranged location and she took us to a nearby hotel for the night. The next morning we met Cousin Iris Hamilton, who drove us to her home where we met her husband Davey, a self-employed house-painter.
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. We saw the house where my mother was born, visited the family church where Mother answered an altar call as a youngster, and the family cemetery plot, where I saw a history of the family - written in stone. Dear wife and I hosted a dinner (for 22), which put all of the family in perspective (parents with children). My Aunt Ruby looked exactly like my mother.
I think I should describe the family members and their occupations. Cousin Sally (Davey) had a small restaurant; Pat (Sammy) was a homemaker and her husband was a lead teacher in a vocational school; Robert (Ida) was a retired Presbyterian pastor; Sam (Addis), with a doctorate in chemical engineering, worked for the DuPont Company.
It was time to head for home. An Aer Lingus flight took us to New York City and on to Richmond, where we were greeted by dear son, daughter and grandchildren.
M.L.
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