"Each of us must find wisdom in his own way. Mine is one way, yours another. Perhaps we each need more of what the other knows."

. . . The Lonely Men

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Mike Shaffer Member since 10-20-05 2064 posts 12-12-21, 04:18 PM (Pacific Time)   "JAMESTOWN ND"      A few years back a group of guys and a lady I rode motorcycles with rode out to Jamestown ND. They have quite a bit of information, in a tourist context, about Louis…mostly at the library, which included a tour of the town and a school named for Louis. Years later I found out an 81 year old cousin lived in Jamestown, and she was a retired teacher. Sometimes the world is a small place. After visiting Arliss Shaffer Monk a few times and reading her book about our family beginnings, she died within 18 months of our first meeting.. At a Shaffer family reunion my parents met her, and Mom and Arliss exchanged letters. After several trips and spending time with her each trip at her condo, I rode the motorcycle out for another visit before she moved into a retirement home. The afternoon of her passing I arrived at her home and was greeted by her daughter and son-in-law who told me of her passing. Sometimes there is never enough time. It was Arliss who got me started on our family history and I have passed the information on to our youngest sister, Cecilia…aka Cis. We’ve gotten back into the 16th century..primarily because we are descended from farmers and transportation/herders…mothers and fathers working as a team. They drovered everything from chickens to cattle and it was a beginning that evolved into transportation that continues to this day with a Shaffer nephew who started out on the B&O RR, and today works for AMTRAK and the Baltimore Metro. So, from the mid 1840s until today there has been a Shaffer working for the railroad. Neither of my sons did, but my wife did. One day at work, a few years before we were married I was singing my High School fight song and as I passed her desk she gasped, “Oh my god! You’re Earl Shaffer’s brother.” Guilty as charged. Sometimes the world is a small place…and sometimes you get very lucky.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top