Finding Lost Family by Pat Simmons

Recently, my husband and I returned from Atlanta. 

Although some may call it pleasure trip, it was all business. Family business. 

The St. Louis Simmons families are hosting the family reunion this summer, and we want as many of our young people to attend to get to know our history and to keep the reunions going. Some families can boast their reunions date back more than a hundred years. Not us. We're no where close.

Kerry's kinfolks are many. His great grandfather had eleven boys. Yikes. Of course, there were more children, but they either died during birth or at an early age.

Pictured are descendants from two of those brothers--great great grandchildren.  These cousins live in the same city, but didn't know each other. Kerry and I were the glue to put them together.

Nick, the tall cousin's grandfather recently passed away at age 97 years old. He has a lot of history on his father's side of the family, but little on his mother's Simmons' side.

Our cousin in the center never knew we existed. I'm so glad our Atlanta cousins exchanged numbers. Mission accomplished, bringing family together one cousin at a time. Countdown to our summer Simmons Family Reunion, St. Louis Gateway to the West.

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Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of more than thirty titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a four-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Christmas Dinner was also an Emma Award winner for Book of the Year. Christmas Dinner and Here for You were featured in Woman’s World Magazine.

 

As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and worked in various positions in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

Pre-order her upcoming Christmas short story, House Call for the Holidays, part of the Puppies for Christmas series, featuring her grand dog, Dr. Avery.