Relay – A Family History Blog

In 1999 a distant cousin named Joy (Smith) Friedland contacted my mother and myself regarding our mutual Scheck genealogy. Mom was able to identify some pictures for Joy and she and I shared some material. Frankly most of the sharing was on Joy’s side since I hadn’t really begun working on the Scheck family. And then, as often happens, I lost track of Joy. I didn’t think much about it – even in genealogical circles that happens. Then last year when I decided to get in touch with Joy on my annual trip to Salt Lake City, my e-mail came back undeliverable. So I tried the SLC phone book and couldn’t find her at her former address. Ah well I thought, I’ll try again later. But already I’d left it until too late. In March, when I began working on the website www.mcwieser.info, I started trying to contact Joy again. Selfishly, I wanted to post material from a brief document she sent me in 1999 regarding the Scheck family. I still hadn’t gotten around to researching the Schecks, so I was hoping to piggyback on Joy’s research and share her results with the larger family. So I started a more intensive hunt for Joy on the Internet. I found a phone number for Joy and her husband in Montana. I was thrilled, but before I called the number I thought I would see if I could find an address. You can imagine my shock when lower down the results page I came across Joy’s obituary. Joy (Smith) (Thompson) Friedland died on 1 July 2004 at her home in Bigfork Montana. I had truly waited too long to get back in touch.