Dad, I Want to Know About the War (with Becky Ellis) | Episode 32

11/07/24 • 36 min

1 Listener

For 43 years, Becky Ellis's father refused to speak about his World War II service — until one conversation at age 89 changed everything. What started with a simple "Dad, I want to know about the war" led to seven years of profound revelations that transformed not just their relationship, but Becky's understanding of herself. As her father finally shared his experiences as a Staff Sergeant in the 104th Infantry Division, she discovered how his 172 days of continuous combat shaped both his approach to parenting and her own life. Through their journey from silence to storytelling, Becky learned that sometimes the most powerful family connections emerge when we're brave enough to ask the hard questions and patient enough to listen to the answers.

〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️
🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.
🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.
♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Previous Episode

Not Much of a Saint | Episode 31

Does the veil between worlds thin as October turns to November? I certainly think so.

Born on All Saints Day, my birthday celebrations always mingled with Halloween festivities. But, it was my 18th birthday, spent cleaning up a vandalized cemetery that changed my perspective. Then, my 47th birthday spent experiencing Día de los Muertos in Mexico City and the dozens of birthdays in between that shaped my understanding of how these religious and cultural celebrations are a powerful way to connect generations.
Join me as I explore the fascinating intersection between my birth date, my calling as a genealogist, and the belief that during these autumn days, the veil between past and present grows uniquely thin. This personal story reveals why I believe there are no coincidences when it comes to our connections with family history.

Next Episode

The Fabric of Who You Are | (with Diahan Southard) | Episode 33

Have you ever thought about how deeply you can trace your roots with just a simple DNA test?

Listen in on my conversation with Diahan Southard, a trailblazer in consumer genomics and the founder of Your DNA Guide. She takes us through her story, starting as a microbiology student at Brigham Young University, continuing to her work with Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, leading to her pioneering role in the field of genetic genealogy education. Sparked by the advice of a high school English teacher and a fascination with archaeogenetics, Diahan has not only played a role in advancing the field, she has also experienced the personal and emotional impact of DNA discoveries in her own family. In this episode, she shares her journey and invites us to discover the unexpected stories hidden within our own DNA.
Follow Diahan:
YourDNAGuide.com
Instagram

Stories That Live In Us - Dad, I Want to Know About the War (with Becky Ellis) | Episode 32

Transcript

Becky Ellis00:00:02.423

And I thought , wait , wait , what did you say ? Like I didn't catch that , and I ran over to the drawer , the junk drawer in the kitchen , where we keep , you know , band-aids and pens , a thousand pens and scraps of paper , and I pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and can you tell me again ? And I wrote it down and then he started talking .

Crista Cowan