Part of who we are depends on who we have been, who our forefathers, foremothers and ancestors were, where they were from, where they lived, how they lived and what they experienced. It is important that we read and preserve their history, and our history, so that those who follow us and share some part of our DNA will know who we were and who some that came before us were. Only by knowing who we were will they be able to better understand who they are. In these pages you will find just a small part of my, the Allan B. Thames, story and the people who had, and have, a part in it. Because of who they were, I am partly who I am. You will read about John T. Thames, John A. Thames, John Parker, Bessie Robertson, Mabel Fuss and so many others who blood runs in my veins. You will read about their travels from the Dakotas to Canada to Tampa, Florida. You will read about tragedy and you will read about triumph. You will read about day to day, mundane, boring life. You will read poems, songs, and diaries written by some of these people. You will read about births and you will read eulogies that were read over these characters as they exited the stage. I have written a lot of fiction through the years, but I have endeavored to make this book as true, real and honest as I saw, recalled, and found in my research. If you disagree with my telling, then you are encouraged to tell your own story in your own way. We do not know when our Lord Jesus Christ may come, but if it be centuries into the future, maybe some family member years down the road, some great-great-great-grandchild perhaps, will find this and read it. Hopefully, this brief history will shed some light on the days and times we and those before us lived and will help that family member far in the future understand just a little better who they are.
