INTRODUCTION (CONT'D)

ONE DAY I TOLD A PERSON THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHY I WAS DOING WHAT I WAS DOING. INTO MY MIND CAME THE THOUGHT "BONNIE YOU ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE I AM PUSHING YOU TO DO THIS." IT WAS AS IF MY FATHER, ELDRED RUSSELL BACON, WAS RIGHT THERE BESIDE ME.

I STARTED TO COLLECT FAMILY GROUP SHEETS OF FAMILIES WHO LIVED IN GEORGETOWN ID. THIS WAY I COULD LOCATE A PERSON OR HIS FAMILY WHEN SOMEONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEM. I COULD ALSO USE THE INFORMATION WHEN I INCLUDED EACH FAMILY THAT LIVED IN THE HOUSE. I KEPT THESE ALPHABETICALLY SEPARATED AND THEY LITERALLY BECAME MY WORKSHEETS. I LIST EACH CHILD AND THE HOUSE THEY LIVED IN WHEN THEY WERE MARRIED AND INFORMATION COULD BE FOUND ON THEM THERE.

I HOPED TO HAVE A PICTURE OF THE HOUSE WHEN IT WAS FIRST BUILT AND IF IT WAS STILL THERE, A PICTURE OF IT NOW. I BELIEVE A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. THERE ARE MANY MANY PICTURES THAT I HAVE PUT IN THESE BOOKS.

AS I SAW PEOPLE AND TALKED TO THEM THEY DID NOT WANT ME TO LEAVE. THEY LOVED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR LIFE GROWING UP, THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, ETC. THEY ALWAYS ASKED ME TO COME BACK. THEY WERE WILLING TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND THEIR PICTURES AND HISTORIES WITH ME OR ANYONE ELSE IF THEY ASKED.

I COLLECTED SO MANY PICTURES AND SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WOULD DECIDE WHAT I WOULD PUT IN THE BOOK. VERNON DUNN TOLD ME THAT IF I DIDN'T PUT THE INFORMATION IN THAT I HAD, IT WOULD BE LOST. I REALIZED THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED AND THE INFORMATION THAT I GOT FROM THEM IS NO MORE. THEREFORE, THIS PROJECT HAS TAKEN ME TEN YEARS AND WILL BE MORE THAN ONE BOOK.

MY BIGGEST REGRET IS THAT IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE ME THE INFORMATION AND WANTED TO READ MY BOOK HAVE DIED. I DO HOPE THAT THEIR DESCENDANTS WILL BE INTERESTED IN WHAT I HAVE PUT IN THESE BOOKS.

MY THANKS TO ALL THE POEPLE I HAVE TALKED TO OR SEEN, FOR THEM LETTING ME COME INTO THEIR HOMES AND TRUSTING ME WITH THEIR PIC- TURES AND MEMORBILIA, ETC., FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE COPIES TO USE AND SENDING ME INFORMATION IN THE MAIL AND TRUSTING ME TO SEND IT BACK.

MY THANKS TO MY HUSBAND, JAMES EDWARD FESER, FOR BEING SUPPORTIVE AND ENCOURAGING ME IN THIS PROJECT AND MY DAUGHTER KIMBERLY ANNE FESER RYDBERG. ALSO THANKS TO MY MOTHER, MARY FERN BOURNE BACON, FOR LETTING ME STAY AT HER HOME IN GEORGETOWN ID WHILE SEEING PEOPLE AND WORKING ON THE BOOK.

BONNIE JEAN BACON FESER