A to Z Challenge: Kerry

Hello and Welcome to K Day!

Name:

Kerry C. Featheringill

Vital Information:

Kerry was born on 2 October 1952 in Chicago, Illinois and died on 7 February 2006 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Relation to Me:

My mother.

Tidbits/Characteristics/Commonalities:

I’ve thought a lot about what I’d like to include here in this little section about a woman I know so much about. The possibilities are truly endless, but I’ve landed on the legacy of loving books as the tidbit I’d like to share today.

To say my mom loved to read would be an understatement. She was, truly, a voracious reader, constantly at the Library to check out a new book or at the used bookstore to trade in a finished book for a new one.

Her love of reading was no doubt passed down to her from her mom, her maternal grandpa, and at least of couple of her great grandparents. Through her it has been passed down to me and her granddaughter.

There was a bookshelf next to her chair and, for the life of me, I cannot remember any of the titles that may have sat on that shelf or been traded on and off that shelf. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that she loved Stephen King and read everything he published.

After years of reading for school and being too busy to prioritize reading for pleasure, I’ve recently picked it back up again and am thoroughly enjoying losing myself in the pages of a variety of books, both physical and audio.

I’m currently reading The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams and it’s brought back up a concept for me about documenting the books one reads so that future kin may gain some understanding of what was enjoyed when looking back at the times in which you lived.

For example, I know my Grandma read, but I don’t know what she read when she had the choice…

Just as I know my mom read, but I can’t remember what those books were beyond all.the.King.novels…

And I’d love to read some of what I know they read as a way of folding time and reflecting on a shared experience across the decades.

So, in the absence of this, I’ve started documenting my own reading, not only for my own sake, but also for future kin… just in case they’re interested in such things 🙂

I’d like to think that I’m not only honoring my mom, but all those who came before her as well, with our shared love of reading.

In Your Research/Experience…

Do you enjoy reading? Has this been an interest passed down to you from kin? Do you remember specific books your kin read that you have already or would like to read yourself? Do you track your reading in any way?

Housekeeping

My theme for the 2025 A to Z Challenge is Kin! The first names of direct lineage kin, to be more specific.

I’m spending the majority of the month focusing on the first names of many of my direct lineage kin. I’ll include their full names, any vital information I’ve found in my research, their relation to me, any fun tidbits/characteristics/experiences, and any commonalities I may have gleaned between myself and them.

In a couple of cases, where I have not identified an ancestor whose first name starts with a particular letter, I will choose a unique middle name, a direct line surname, and/or ancestral lands/places of significance.

Pop over here to read my full theme reveal: A to Z 2025 Challenge Theme Reveal: Kin

Pop over here to visit our host and see what they’re up to throughout this year’s challenge: A to Z Challenge

If you’re visiting from the A to Z Challenge please leave a comment so I can visit you, too! If your comment bio doesn’t link back to your site, please feel free to add the link to your most recent post to the comment field so I can be sure to find you.

Thanks for being here! See you again soon!

Onward,

Melissa