A New Cousin - Part 3

It happened! Troy Todd met all of his new Cotter family members on Saturday, July 28, in Big Spring, Texas. It was a remarkable day!

 My brother Gene, my wife Ruth Lynn, my daughter Shari and her two children, and I arrived on Friday. As we walked into the foyer of the church, it was an experience beyond belief. Here I was . . looking into the eyes of my 74 year old cousin . . a man I had never even knew existed . . and we were hugging each other as long lost relatives. I was able to get and give the first hug, but over the next 24 hours, the hugs went on and on.

 Troy's only living aunt, age 95, was there to meet him for the first time. His two 80+ year old uncles also greeted their unknown nephew. Several cousins and second cousins hugged. Four of Troy's cousins from the other side of his family came to join in the celebration. And that's exactly what it was . . a great celebration. 

One of the highlights of the day came as the aunt, two uncles, and Troy sat around a table in a quiet room . . and talked about Troy's father. We gave them plenty of space to just share old stories. For Troy, these were many of the only stories he had ever heard about his long unacknowledged father. I didn't get to hear much of that conversation. I would have loved to have recorded it, but it was a private conversation between those who knew and loved Reuben Cotter. Troy deserved it!

When you see me or members of my family, just ask us about Troy Todd. There is so much more to tell and to say. It's just not possible here. My heart can't take it!

Someone has asked me how Troy feels about all of this. I would suggest, of course, that you talk with Troy. But . . my feelings are this. He is like a new man . . a man who has spent 74 years questioning, hurting, and living in fear . . because he didn't know his roots. Now that is all over. He has family. He has roots. He has a father.

A little preaching! That's exactly what our heavenly father wants to do in our lives. He wants to claim his rightful place as our father. I believe Troy Todd can identify with that!

A New Cousin . . Part 2

You heard the first part of my story a few weeks back. It is going to be impossible to give you all of the details that have occurred recently, but I want to give it a try. You'll just have to talk with me personally in the months to come. I have a lot to tell. It has been my privilege to have contact with Troy Todd many times during these past weeks. Every time we talk, it is like a revival. Troy has lived his entire 74 years of life . . not knowing his father, being embarrassed that he did not have a father, and not given the true facts of his life. As a pastor, Troy knew that God's will for his life had somehow been lost. As a result of his son in law's aggressive search for answers through ancestry.com, I was able to introduce myself to him as his first cousin. His entire life was completely changed. All of the defeat and confusion and hurt was changed in an instant. He was not only able to learn much wonderful information about his father; he was also able to learn that he had dozens, maybe even hundreds of relatives that he never even knew existed. The scripture says, "Old things are passed away . . all things are become new." Troy is the living, breathing example of that scripture. He is a brand new person . . because of the work of Christ in so many lives. Now, it gets even better! On Saturday, July 28, Troy, his daughter Lisa, and his son in law Dale, will be driving from St. Cloud, Florida to Big Spring, Texas . . where we will spend the day in getting to know each other. Several of his cousins from the Todd side of the family will be present; many of the Cotter aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members will attend. All of us, who have only understood the very existence of each other, will have a wonderful day together. Does that sound like fun? Stay tuned! There's more information coming! I'm just sorry you can't make our day of celebration. It's going to be fantastic!

A New Cousin

We have an active Ancestry.com account with a lot of family information. It is fun to add to it and to keep up with our family from the past. Listen to Sam's story: A couple of weeks ago I received a contact through Ancestry.com from someone looking for information concerning Reuben Cotter. I replied to say that Reuben was my uncle but that he had died three weeks before I was born in April, 1939. I assumed that someone was following Ancestry and just wanted some information on Reuben. I had always had an admiration for Reuben since he was just two years younger than my father as a child. They grew up together, and my Dad told me some fun stories of their childhood. The contact person responded back to me and began to ask some questions about Reuben's locations before he died in 1939 with a brain tumor. I answered back immediately only to be asked more questions and to begin to get a story from the past. The person contacting me finally introduced himself to me, told me a few more details, and said he was seeking information for someone that he thought was the son of Reuben Cotter. After getting my breath, we began to talk not only by email but also over the phone. His father in law was born in September of 1937, and it was only during the past few weeks that the father in law had given him information with the actual name of his father. Both of them had visited the grave site in Big Spring, Texas, and now, his son in law, was beginning the process of many contacts with people in the Cotter family. We have discovered that the older brothers and sisters of Reuben, all six of whom are dead, probably knew about this situation. They had probably chosen back in the 1930s to keep it as a family secret. But the six younger children, only three which are still alive in their 80s and 90s, didn't seem to have any information about the situation. All three of them are thrilled for the opportunity to meet their "new" nephew. There has been a tremendous outpouring of acceptance and excitement during the past two weeks from everyone in this large family. Everyone, most especially our new cousin, are thrilled that we have found each other. That's just the edge of the story; I'll tell you more in the coming weeks. Just know that this has been one of the most exciting journeys of our lives. Sam and Ruth Lynn