Page 16 - Foy

A Change of Mind

Those of you who have read Volume One of FOYS WHO CAME TO TEXAS will find
some duplication of material in this present work , most of which will be
photographs. Volume One was an attempt to tell the FOY story in interesting story
book fashion and valuable lessons were learned in that effort.

I read a lot; all kinds of books and magazines. One kind of book I like to read is
historical fiction. Books like Texas, and Chesapeake, and Alaska, and Centennial,
and The Source; and every other book by the legendary James A. Michener are
favorites of mine. For, in addition to the enjoyment of reading, a reader of such books
is exposed to factual information about the times, places, people and events in history.
Michener was a genius at weaving actual facts and real people into fictional stories.

Louis L’amour, the great writer of Western stories, was the same. Both writers
researched every place and time they wrote about. The descriptions of the clothes
their characters wore right down to the buttons, the guns or instruments they used, the
trails they rode, the lands they tamed, everything they mentioned were always real;
just like it really was only in reading their works one did not feel like he was reading
a dull historical expose.

Their kind of writing was the way I originally wanted to present the story of the FOYs
to you. But, I discovered it is not as easy as it appears to write that way. Oh, I’ve got
the facts, dates, places, names, such as they are, and I’ve researched the places and
times our ancestors lived; but, weaving all that into a palatable story takes a special
kind of talent I don’t have and a lot more work than I am willing or able to expend on
this project.

Therefore, dear reader, beginning now the style of this volume is going to be different
from the first volume. From now on I am going to relate to you data about the FOYs

as I have found it but not in story form. Sometimes I will comment or speculate on
the information and its sources so that you can see how conclusions regarding our
Foy ancestors were reached by the dozens of genealogical researchers seeking data
on the FOYs in America.

Documents and records do not adequately define the lives of people of any age or
time. Everyday life is shaped by where a person lived, when they lived, what events
were taking place, the people with whom they associated, their values, their religion
and dozens of other influences that cause each of us to make the decisions that

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