Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Genealogy is Addicting

As a child, I would sit and listen to my mother, aunt, and cousins talk about our family. They would tell stories of long ago. I would be transported into an era when kerosene lamps lit your home, fireplaces were used for warmth and cooking, and horses were a means of travel. A doilie that was proudly displayed on our side table became more meaningful when I learned that a blind cousin crocheted it. I not only began to appreciate my heritage but began to realize that my ancesters were very much a part of my life.

When I was in highschool, an english project required us to draw our family tree and tell a short story regarding our ancesters. It wasn't until then that I realized that family folklore was only a small portion of your true heritage. There was so much more to learn. I began to feel this need to combine these stories with written facts, dates, and history. They shouldn't just be stories, they should be tributes to the people that couragously took that journey to the new world which enables me to live the life I live today.

I have spent years doing research. I have been to town halls, state archives, national archives, libraries, historical societies, and cemetaries. At one point, while my sister was helping me with the research, we had become known as the grave diggers. It is amazing how much you can learn from cemetaries. I have collected a multitude of data ranging from census copies to birth, death, and marriage certificates to town directories and so on and so forth. I don't know if I will ever truly complete the research because with each piece of information found, there always seems to be a new question that arises. YES GENEALOGY IS TRULY ADDICTING!

At times I wish I had someone to guide me, someone to explain what the information really means, someone to tell me where to go next. In this blog, I am going to share with you information that I hope will help you in your quest. From one genealogist to another, I will tell you this: I have a story to tell, I have lived a life, I have loved, I have struggled and succeeded, I have suffered and survived, I have given and I have received. Do not let me fade into the past. Remember me!

2 comments:

Amanda E. Perrine said...

You have the perfect title! Welcome to the geneabloggers! We're always here to help if you need anything. I look forward to reading your blog:-)

Anonymous said...

I find your post very informative. I do agree that genealogy is really addictive especially if you are very curious about your family history.

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