This first contact documents a reunion grounded in shared memory, photographs, artifacts, and extended oral history. Nancy Kashmer, a first cousin, provided labeled family photographs, naturalization papers, and a long-form phone conversation that surfaced stories, places, and traditions not preserved elsewhere.
At a Glance
- First Contact: August 4, 2020
- Primary Surname: Gamache
- Medium: Email, phone call
- Role in Project: Artifact holder; oral historian; family verifier
Correspondence Log
Contact #1 — August 4, 2020, 5:34 PM — Email
Nancy (Gamache) Kashmer:
Hi Johnny,
You’re still Johnny to me, so deal with it. This is Nancy. Beth forwarded two pictures to me. The one with a squirrel on the shoulder is “our” grandfather. The other picture of you and your dad with a man and a woman is a puzzle. I am positive that it is NOT your mother. I am wondering if they might not be your grandparents on your mother’s side.
I have pictures that my mother gave me of our grandparents’ families. She wrote the identities on the backs of them. I will make copies for you and also copies of the naturalization papers that I have.
Your cousin,
Nancy
Sent from my iPad
Contact #2 — August 7, 2020, 12:03 PM — Follow-up
Nancy (Gamache) Kashmer:
I will get back to you soon. Let me get some info together that may help you, I hope. Do you have a number that I can call and maybe connect that way?
Contact #3 — September 13, 2020, 9:03 PM — Phone Call
Editor’s note: This phone conversation lasted over two hours and fifteen minutes and surfaced a wide range of family stories, locations, and verifications that had not previously been documented.
Topics discussed included:
- The Warlock story (confirmed; Nancy wished she had inherited her father’s ability to remove warts)
- The family farm, including its role in illustrating the book Bird and its growth to approximately 150 acres
- “Pet cows” still living on the farm, referred to as Larry’s pets
- Quilting traditions; handmade quilts created by Nancy’s family members
- Rental property challenges during COVID-19 eviction moratoriums
- The house with an indoor pool remembered from earlier visits
- Jack inheriting the house at 45 Davis Street, Lisbon Falls
- The “Coodle,” a childhood swampland play area
- The former chicken coop and custom kitchen cabinetry
- Early discussion of ancestry research assistance and the possibility of a future book
- Verification of Rebecca and Kippie’s story
- Discussion of Captain Elcik folklore and family identity
Why This Contact Mattered
Nancy’s contribution bridged documented records and living memory. By providing labeled photographs, naturalization papers, and extended oral history, she helped resolve identification questions while preserving stories that would otherwise remain informal and at risk of loss. Her involvement demonstrates how genealogy advances when artifacts and conversation meet.