You never know when you'll run in to a relative. A few stories.
My husband attended a conference recently. One of the last presentations he went to, somebody struck up a conversation with him about his surname. The other gentleman had the same surname in his ancestry. Maybe they were related. Semi-common surname, multiple branches unrelated to each other around here. Chances were small. But, it turned out to be true.
One of my brothers met a girl on a blind date. No big deal. Second date, somehow the name of her great grandma came up in conversation. My brother's reaction: "I think we're related." The name? Kezia. And we are.
My sister-in-law ended up marrying her husband because during a class somebody brought up Stephen Markham. She piped up that he was an ancestor. Future spouse said "Mine, too." They began to chat afterwards, and ended up dating and marrying.
As a genealogy hobbiest in general with a decent background in professional research, I have always been interested in the story behind people. I can't look at a name and a date without thinking about what was going on at the time, how this person may have been affected, and what could I do to find out more. I enjoy nothing more than fleshing out the story of a person. If something doesn't seem right, I pursue it until I know more.
