For context, William Henry Seiters SR. was the man I called PopPop (the few times I saw him) ... or, more officially, William Henry Seiters SR. was my maternal grandfather.
Which, for those of you who are quick on the genealogical uptake, makes William Henry Seiters JR. (the guy in the photo -- remember?) my uncle (on my mom's side).
To be clear, there is nothing special about today's date in his life (he was born in late January in 1942) ... nor is today relevant to his death (which happened in mid August 1968). But what is relevant is that I was reminded that he existed on my most recent trip to PA last month ... and my sister Bonnie located this photo and recently sent it to me.
More context ... my family is somewhat scattered, and so the fact that I had forgotten that I had an uncle that I had never met (he did die four years before I was born, after all) isn't as outlandish as it may first sound. Additionally, if you did the math, then you'd know that he died rather young, upsetting the natural order of things ... which brings the kind of pain that many don't want to re-live. And, it's also true that I first created my mother's genealogical information just after college, which means I actually had the name and the dates and knew where it fit into the chart many many years ago.
The difference ... back then I didn't have an appreciation for what those names and numbers *meant*. And now I've lived long enough to realize that names and numbers are just data placeholders for stories and memories, captured in minds of loved ones and forever memorialized in things like photographs.
So ... now, many years later, I can say, with more meaning ... "Uncle Billy, even though I never met you, you are missed".
[In lieu of my customary links-in-triplicate at the end of my posts that I provide to occupy your time, how's about you go call a family member and share stories of loved ones instead. Thanks!]
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