A Sobering Visit

It was a sober day in NYC eight years ago when we visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and saw Stephen Kevin Tompsett's name on the Memorial and his photo in the Museum display. 

Stephen, an Australian victim, was my 3rd cousin. Robert and I both shed a tear or two during the visit as we heard the stories of victims and survivors of this tragedy.

Stephen's plaque

Thinking of 9/11

As one does when one has a spare hour I have been working on the family database today and seeking sources for a branch of the tree that was sent to me by a cousin several years ago.

I found an obituary (via the Ryerson index) for my Dad's second cousin's husband's death last month  in the Sydney Morning Herald, I observed that his wife (Dad's second cousin) is still alive and I saw that his eldest son, my third cousin had been noted as deceased. Checking my database I saw that this death was noted as taking place in 2001 but that it wasn't sourced (as was the whole tree branch I was given). My next step was a Google search for my cousin's name, Stephen Kevin Tompsett, just to see if I could find his death date. I was rewarded with more than a page of hits that sent shivers down my spine.

My relationship to Stephen K Tompsett

Stephen was one of the ten Australians who lost his life in the September 11 terrorist attacks at The World Trade Center, New York in 2001. As I read through the various reports of Stephen's terrible end I felt so sad for the victims of this senseless attack and the families they left behind. It has been a very sober afternoon.

I won't summarise or paraphrase the articles I found about Stephen and his family, I will post a list of links (all accessed today) to several so that those who wish can read about my third cousin.

Glimmer of joy, five years after 9/11 http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/glimmer-of-joy-five-years-after-911/2006/09/09/1157222379596.html

In Memoriam: Stephen K. Tompsett  http://www.voicesofseptember11.org/dev/memorial_biography.php?idbio=152

Remembering 9/11 http://longisland.newsday.com/911-anniversary/victims/Stephen-Tompsett

Remembering September 11 http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/remembering-september-11-00100000065243/page4.html

September 11: The Australian stories  http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2011/09/08/september-11-australian-stories

Stephen K. Tompsett http://parramattamaristobu.org.au/our-old-boys/science-education/

Stephen K. Tompsett: Family, Faith and Job  http://www.legacy.com/sept11/story.aspx?personid=139438

Stephen K. Tompsett Memorial Fund for Technology in Education  http://stevetompsettmemorialfund.org/

STEPHEN KEVIN TOMPSETT: Worrying Enough for Two  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/nyregion/11pog-tompsett.html?_r=0

Strength of Faith Brings Comfort to Australian Parents of 9/11 Victim https://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2011/201198_1188.shtml

When I visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York laer this year I will be thinking of this amazing cousin I never knew.  

An Aussie remembers 9/11

Both Geneabloggers and the Society of Australian Genealogists have exhorted genealogists to reflect on 9/11 today.

My diary entry for September 9, 2001 is "After the Twin Towers tragedy in America we are rethinking our plans to travel to the US next week."

I remember clearly sitting in the study when one of my children phoned and suggested I turn on the TV to see what was happening in the US as we were due to fly there in a few days time to meet up with another son who was travelling around the world.

I watched in horror as the events of that day unfolded. Of course, on a personal level, I was disappointed that our travel plans were under threat but my heart went out to the families who lost loved ones in the tragic events that unfolded that day.

We were advised not to travel to the US. QANTAS gave us a full refund for our airfares and we were able to cancel our hotel bookings in the US. We had booked tickets to see Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey Circus in Salt Lake City; unfortunately we could not get a refund on these tickets and couldn't find a way to give our tickets to a needy Utah family. Our son, who was in New Zealand, was able to alter his travel plans to travel to Europe via the US with just a short stopover.

As a family bistorian I was most disappointed that I missed an opportunity to do some research whilst my husband was attending an ICMA Conference in Salt Lake City. I have yet to visit the Family History Library although I was lucky enough on an earlier visit to hear the Mormom Tabernacle Choir. I also missed an oportunity to attend a library conference somewhere south of Chicago. We were easily able to change our travel plans and attend a library conference at the Twin Waters Resort in Queensland.

My disappointments pale into insignificance when compared with the devastation experienced in NYC. On a recent visit to New York we were sobered by a visit to Ground Zero, the site of the Twin Towers.

I constantly think of those people in New York City and our family members in the US who were affected by the events of 9/11 and feel blessed that I live in The Lucky Country.