As I explore a person’s family tree, the accumulation of names, facts, and dates allows the family history to begin taking shape. For any individual, it is helpful to know the parents’ names, and any siblings. When was s/he born, and where? Did s/he marry? Any children? Is s/he still living? If not, when did s/he die?
What I really find compelling, though, is the WHY of the story. That information doesn’t show up, usually, in the historical data. I have an ancestor who was raised by an uncle and aunt, and his siblings were raised by separately by other members of the family, when his mother and two sisters died during a terrible winter, and his father could not manage all the surviving children. My wife has a relative who, for one census, can be found living in Flint, Michigan, where he had gone looking for work in the booming auto industry. In my current project, it seems that a wife and mother in her mid-thirties with three children was widowed in New York in 1902. What was that family’s life like?
How can we fill in the gaps between the data? Sometimes, we’re fortunate enough to find personal correspondence, or a personal account of the time. There might be public record, such as a newspaper article, or a will, deed, or military record. Some stories get handed down through the family. Often, though, there’s no way to piece together a full account of a story. It’s also valuable to keep in mind that historical “facts” can be just as subjective as our current news. It’s hard enough to fully piece together one side of a family story, let alone all sides.
When there are the gaps, the unknown WHY’s to a story, I think it’s worthwhile to entertain a little imagination, a little story-telling. A couple from a small town marry young, and lived just down the street from each other most of their young lives. Were they always sweethearts? A young widowed mother; did she lose her husband in a war? A young son moves far away as soon as he’s old enough, was he unhappy or unfulfilled at home? So many interesting questions.
I’d like to make three points. First, family members can be the best source of information, or clues. So ask.
Second, don’t wait, because people may pass, or begin to forget. When you start a dialogue with the elders of your family, they will feel valued and appreciated, and you can discover information that very well may otherwise be lost with them.
Third, your story is also an important part of your family’s history. I find that many people, even ones who are investigating the stories of their ancestors, think there is nothing interesting or important about their story. This just isn’t true. Just as you may be captivated by the story of the young lady who left France for the unknown of Canada, with a promise that the King would provide a dowry for her to marry and propagate in the New Land, a future relative will be compelled by your story, and thankful that you have shared and preserved it.
We all have a story worth sharing!
Recent Comments