I Found a Long Lost Cousin on FaceBook

Facebook has long reaching tentacles doesn’t it?  One friend leads to another, which then may lead to a group, which then, as in my case, led to a long lost cousin.
Actually this isn’t the first time I have found a long lost cousin on Facebook.  The first time it happened, though, she found me, on Facebook.

“Hello Lynda,

My grandfather and your grandfather were first cousins.  They lived around the corner from each other and worked in the same steel plant.”

That’s what her Facebook message said.

It was funny because I had never heard about this relative before.   I called my Aunt Edie, my father’s sister.  She was the youngest of the siblings and the only one still alive.   I asked her about this cousin.  She told me that she did remember something about her father having a cousin, but didn’t know much about him.

After I saw Dottie’s picture, that’s my newly found cousin, it was absolutely clear, we were related.

Now, we exchange FB pleasantries.  You know, she’ll “like” a post of mine.  I’ll make a comment on a photo she has posted.  That sort of thing.  We did speak on the phone once also.

A more recent find happened just the other day.  A couple of months ago I joined a FB group.  The members are people from my high school graduating class of 19something or other, which is the year I graduated.

I was perusing through the comment chatter and noticed a familiar name.

My mother’s side of the family has a complicated family tree.  I called my Aunt Dolores, my mother’s sister.  I asked her about this cousin.  Between the two of us we tried to jostle each other’s memories.

We decided that yes, Bob was a cousin.  His father and my mother (and of course Aunt Dolores) were first cousins.  So I guess that makes me and Bob second cousins?

As we were reminiscing, I recalled that Bob and his twin brother did go to the same high school as I did and we were in the same class. They lived on the north end of the town, we were on the south end.  It was a long time ago and we really didn’t hang out together.

I sent Bob a friend request.  After a couple of weeks, no reply.   Well, I thought, maybe I was mistaken.

Then I had a sudden realization. I hadn’t included a note of explanation with the friend request.  He probably didn’t recognize my married name.

I sent him a FB message, with an explanation.  He immediately replied back.

"Lynda, OMG it has been too long.  Yes we are cousins.  I worked with your X years ago.  I will send you a friend request.   Please call me when you have a minute.  I will be going to the class reunion in July, will you be going?”

We chatted back and forth for a few minutes and then decided to talk on the phone.    

We tried to sort out the family tree.  His grandma Lucy and my grandpa Emil were brother and sister?  I think.  Like I said it’s complicated.  

We caught up with family news. His long marriage to a childhood sweetheart. 

I told him I remarried.   When he mentioned he and my ex-husband worked together at one time.  I said, “Oh that’s right, I remember that now.”   

We exchanged, how many children and grandchildren, we each had.

Bob tried to persuade me to go our high school reunion.  But, as I explained to him,  I am still painfully shy and back in high school I was never part of any group.  

Before we hung up, Bob said to me, “Lynda, please think about coming.  I would love to see you.  Come on you can sit with us. I’ll save you a seat.”