My daughter at age 10 told me she had a young man who visited her at night. I said sure you do Honey. She still keeps him although she is close to 40. We didn't know who he was but he told her he was watching over her and his name was Stephen . She told me that he said he was a soldier. Years later I started genealogy. This childs GGGGG Grandfather was Stephen Jackson who fought in the Rev. War. and in Gregg's.book said he was called "Killing Stephen Jackson."

A few years ago, my husband and I went to Toccoa Falls, GA to research my Archibald Whitehead family. I knew that Joseph Whitehead had married in 1798 and with the help of the Cherokee Indian Chief, purchased Toccoa Falls and eventually owned all of the land within a five-mile radius and Joseph, his wife and some of his children were buried somewhere on the property. While asking for information in the book store at Toccoa Falls College, I noticed a book which had pictures of the Whitehead graves and stated the cemetery was one mile above the falls. There was absolutely nothing on the mountain (hill) where the cemetery was, consequently the road which lead to the top was in terrible shape. After driving and looking for some time, I jokingly made the statement, "Joseph, if you don't give us some kind of sign, we are going to have to go home without seeing you". Just as we rounded the next turn, we met a white pick-up truck. I stopped, told the driver I was descended from Joseph Whitehead and asked if he knew where the old family cemetery was. As it turned out, he was also descended from Joseph Whitehead and took us to the cemetery. He stated that was the first time in six months he had been up there and just decided to take a ride while his wife was dressing for church and he didn't know why he made the decision to go up there. He still owned some of the land which had been passed down through the years. We had to walk about one mile and would never have found the cemetery if my new-found cousin had not just decided to take a ride up there.

Some years ago, I returned to the home that my family has owned for generations. A home that I'd not lived in for many years. My life had been like a "squirrel on a wheel" in more ways than one. I was both physically and emotionally exhausted. I climbed the stairs that night to bed down wondering what the next day might bring. I'd lost so many family members, had nursed my father, and then my mother, in their last days. I'd not slept well for quite some time, but as I climbed into bed and pulled the covers around me that night, it was if someone wrapped me in their arms and a feeling of intense love and peace enveloped me. I had COME HOME. I slept like a baby!

A few days later, my daughter-in-law called me and asked if we had a family crest. I had no idea, and really doubted it, but I told her I'd look through wahtever family papers I could find and see if there was any information as to where the family came from.

In the attic, I found a box of my grandfather's papers. Not many had survived, but I found some letters, some old ledgers(he's once owned a store), and some text books from his school days. Among the letters was a draft of an obituary that he had written for his father. At the bottom of the page was a note that read; "It is my hope and my prayer that one of my descendants will keep a record of the family that they never be forgotten."

It is an odd feeling to know that of the very few papers that survived, this would have been one of them. That somehow he knew that someday I would find it. I often wonder what he'd think of the WEB and the amount of family information that I've sent all over the world. No, Grandpa, you won't be forgotten.

There is more to life than what we see. Many of us have had experiences that cannot be explained in mere words. Below are mine.

My husbands grandmother (age 70) gave my son, Stephen, age 3, a tank top. I don't know where it came from, but it was a green and white stripes. When she gave it to me for him, I remember thinking how very much it looked like the old fashioned swim suits men use to wear. A week later, weather warm, I put it on him for the first time. I will never forget his words as he looked at me as said "Mommie, This is my bathing suit".

It's 1959, my grandfather has passed away. In my grandparents front yards are two very large evergreen type trees they had planted when they first bought the house. Many pictures during the years were taken of the two of them in front of those tree's. We had always thought of those trees as Granddad and Grandmother. A week after his death, the tree he planted died. Grandmothers tree grew stronger and taller.

It's 1989, and I am the heir of my grandmothers estate, by a twist of fate. My brother and I are planning the funeral. As we drive to the funeral home, turn into the driveway, two "turtle dove's also known as mourning doves" are standing in the driveway. They look at us, then fly off together. My brother and I stop and stare at each other. You see, all our lives, turtle doves lived in the Grandmother and Granddad tree's. We both sense that finally Grandmother and Granddad are together.

It's a week after my grandmothers funeral. I'm finally able to go through the pandora box of picture's, letters, etc. I find several letters my mother has written to my father when they were dating and first married. I've never met my mother, even though she's alive. As I read the letters, goose bumps appear on my arms. Her letters are signed "As Always". All through my high school years--all letters to my boyfriends were signed "As Always". I've never seen these letters before.

It's in the 70's. My husband (ex now) and children are on a vacation in Bryce Canyon, Utah. This day the children clamour to ride up front with us in the pickup, and not in the camper as they have done the whole trip. As we ride down a twisted canyon road, we are rearended by a large motorhome, shot into a field with a drainage ditch, manage to stay upright, pull back onto the road. The inside of the camper is a total wreck. Many possible deadly items have broken loose and flown about. Yet, this day, the children were up front with us.

It's 7 years ago. My second husband and I are returning home from a business apt. As we enter an intersection along with everyone else, we notice a large delivery type vehicle running the light and making a left turn--right at us. It cannot be avoided. We are broadsided, our little car spins and turns, my side is slammed up against a light pole, yet, the timing is right, and only the rear side of my side is destroyed. From the moment the truck started his turn, I knew we were going to be hit. At that moment the world goes into slow motion, a soft grey cloud seems to close around me. I am awake, I can remember many things during those 30 seconds, yet, I am warm, safe, secure. A very strong pressence of a dear friend who passed away 6 months earlier is all around me. Both my husband and I survive when our little MR2 is totally destroyed.

While researching my Robert Oliver JUDD / OVERMAN line, I had a reccuring strange experience on several occasions. At that point I did not know any of the OVERMAN family first names. And I "thought" that this part of my family had been buried in a Quaker cemetery in an old deserted town called Flemings, IN which is about 5 miles east of Seymour, IN. It was even recorded in the Pleasant View Cemetery records!

I walked the old cemetery and found the spots that they were thought to have been buried in, but there were no stones. I never thought anything about that because they could have easily not had stones or they could have been destroyed as many of the others had been.

Strangely one night, I was awakened by a bright flash of light like a neon with the name Malinda on it and a pain over one of my eyes where I had dug a fingernail in and scratched it. (I have a slight scar over one eye from this!!) This happened on several occasions.

This happened to me on several occasions until I finally ordered their death certificates. Low and behold!! They were NOT buried at the Quaker cemetery but in Riverview Cemetery in Seymour, IN!!

So I immediately went to the cemetery. I had no idea where they were located but logically I figured it would be in the older part. When I drove through the gates and parked my car without thinking about "where" to park...and walked directly back about 4 rows and there stood the stone(s) for not only my great grandparets but my great great grandparents as well!! Along with another little surprise! On the stone for Robert Oliver JUDD and Malinda (Overman)Judd was also a recording of two of their children who were also thought to have been buried elsewhere. (A son age 18 and a baby girl.)

This was a great surprise to me!! For 15 years I had driven home past this cemetery and I had no idea that they were buried there. Even worse, I was around 40 at the time, Seymour is my hometown and my parents had never told me!! And the "strange night happenings" stopped after I found them in the "right" cemetery!!