On Sunday -- slightly earlier than the Super Bowl -- I had the opportunity to speak to the Morristown, NJ chapter of the DAR. The venue was charming -- the house where Alexander Hamilton met his bride-to-be -- and the audience was delightful as well (thanks for inviting me!).
But there an extra bonus this time. On behalf of Marilyn Syx, I got to return a family Bible to Harvey Oliver, a descendant of one of the original owners. What made this case particularly special is that the original owners were Green and Louvenia Hawk, former slaves. In fact, the first entry in the Bible is their 1864 marriage.
I'll be writing an article about it for Ancestry Magazine for my Found! column, but in the meantime, here's a photo. I rarely take possession of the orphan heirlooms I rescue, but in this case, it turned out that the descendants lived in NJ (where I live), so it made sense for me to hand the Bible off directly to Harvey. Thanks, Marilyn, for your generosity! And Harvey, here's hoping that you and your descendants enjoys the Bible for many generations to come!
