| [DRAKE-L] Barb & Ken Marshall.. |
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From: "Bill & Billie Drake" Date: Wednesday, 10 October 2001 6:38 AM Hi Barb and Ken, Wanted to put in my two cents about the Drake Exchange. When I first joined, I was hung up between Lazarus Drake in Isle of Wight, VA and James Madison Drake in the Orange County of NC. My first thought as I read the traffic was that it was all Drakes from the Midwest and New York areas. But, I was making great strides through my wife's lines of Franklins (John Franklin of Boston) and Adwells (John C. Adwell of Barren County, KY) and didn't have time to do much with my Drakes. But, when those lines were quiet and could be put to bed, the Drake Exchange shifted to Virginia and I soon saw the writing of Paul Drake and I ordered the CD version of his book from Heritage. That solved most of my problems. Since then we have spent a lot of time on the VA-NC Drakes and Dr. Charles Drake and John Fox filled in my open spaces. Then we went to the SC Drakes for a while and then to other state groups. I think that to make a valid decision about this wonderful group, you need to belong for at least a year and you need to contribute something, even if it is wrong! I remember an old Navy saying that you "Learn By Doing" and it is one of the easier ways to learn by doing things over and over again. As to the recent fad of "traits" it can be a very important thing to pursue. My mother in law died in 1986 of colon cancer. In tracking her family, we found out that her younger brother had died the same year from colon cancer, and that her mother had died of the same disease some 40 years earlier. When doctors hear of that strain of the same cancer, they take notice and insure that our family members get watched very closely. My family trait was altitude challenged. Great Grandfather William Hines Drake was 5' 6". Grandfather William A. was a bit shorter. Dad's two brothers were about the same height, but when Dad was born the Curry genes of his mother got involved and he was a six footer, as I was. I realize that kids are just growing taller these days, but my son, David, is 6' 2" and weighs 280 pounds. End of trait.
I really am not looking for any new leads as to my Drake line, but I am sure, like many others, I keep up with the Exchange daily because it is a lot of fun and I love to check our Roy's Web Page at least once a week. But, most of all, I like to keep up with the people. Oh, yes, I did mail a picture of my wife and I to Roy this morning. |