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Tag: Finding Phil

On This Day: November 8th

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Melissa Willis

On this day…

In a timeline where a birth date

can also become a death date,

by sheer will,

stood a man determined

to make it so.

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Finding Phil: Three – Cause of Death

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Melissa Willis

While I’m still waiting to hear back from the Groundskeeper at the cemetery my Grandpa is buried at, I received follow up documentation the other day from the New York City Health Dept. in the form of his final medical report. It turns out our family story was correct, his immediate cause of death was…

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Finding Phil: Two – Final Resting Place

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Melissa Willis

I often wonder why it is that the people closest to us, in physical proximity and in heart space, are the ones most often taken for granted…

Why we assume we know the facts or, at the very least, have bits and pieces of facts clear enough in our heads that it’ll all come together easily and turn out just fine in the end.

I find myself currently in this liminal space with my maternal grandpa, Phil, who lived and died before I came earth side.

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Finding Phil: One – Death Certificate

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Melissa Willis

After years of thinking about it, I finally ordered and received my Grandpa Phil’s death certificate last week and goodness was that exciting!

Funny, isn’t it, how excited we can get about documenting our ancestors…

Seeing the details in black and white…

Reflecting on the circumstances that led up to that final moment…

Contemplating all that came before and all that transpired after?

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HELLO & WELCOME!

I'm Melissa :-)

Ghost Chaser | Kin Seeker
NPE Survivor | Tea Drinker

As a hobbyist family historian and genetic genealogist, I find great joy in folding time with the Ancestors in an effort to best honor them while documenting their legacies for future generations. Grab a cuppa, let's sit for a spell and chat about ghosts!

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