Why
Genealogy?
I was bitten
by the genealogy bug back in 1996. It's a hobby that
I've pursued off and on ever since. It's something that
I want to pass along to my children, grandchildren and
other members of my family. Since then, I have been
blessed by having two wonderful cousins, Stephen Rowles
and Jean Dunbabin, searching our roots also. It has
brought me much pleasure working with them.
SEARCHING
FOR MY ROOTS
has brought
much enjoyment to my life. I've especially enjoyed meeting
relatives that I didn't even know I had. Genealogy is
something I've always taken seriously because
IF
IT WASN'T FOR OUR ANCESTORS
we would
not be here today. I want to educate myself and my family
to the best of my ability about our history and heritage.
I want to present our ancestors as "real"
people by placing some of the "Flesh" back
on their "Bones." I want my children to know
that those names and dates appeared on a piece of paper
were "Real" people.
I've been
trying to learn more about the history of different
periods of time to better understand their personal
histories. I want to know more about the things that
hurt them and the things that gave them pleasure.
ALTHOUGH
WARS, FASHIONS AND CUSTOMS CHANGE,
some things
are eternal...love, pride in children, devotion to country,
sadness at the death of loved ones and joy at the success
of a crop or a new job. I have discovered that Real
Estate Deeds can sometimes tell us of their financial
history. Church records can tell us for whom they mourned
or celebrated. Court records can tell us how well they
got along with their neighbors or civil authorities.
MY
HEART CRIES FOR THEM
when I think
about some of the enormous pain they must have felt
and had to endure during their lifetimes. I think how
terrible it must have felt to leave their parents behind
who knew they would never see their children again or
have a share in their grandchildren's lives and fate.
I can only
imagine the pain they must have felt when they left
their settled homelands and moved to a new land where
many dangers faced them and their children. "Back
home" was seething with wars and rumors of wars.
We can only imagine the fear and worry they felt for
their families and friends back home.
They must
have also had many fears for their children in the new
land as well. There were so many deaths of newborns
and young children. Too many mothers died during childbirth.
There was so much sickness and disease because of the
lack of proper medical care.
WE
HAVE NO IDEA
of the unremitting
labor it took for the first settlers to just survive.
What did they do to survive? Unless they were wealthy
and could have certain goods shipped over here, they
had to do without or make it themselves. What did they
do for fun? Go to church, sing, dance (if religion permitted
it), tell stories, visit, and make descendants.
I truly
love all my ancestors, even those whose names I don't
know. I want to allow them to rise from their anonymous
mists to become "flesh" once again, to give
them the due honor they deserve. Someday we will also
be just a name on a piece of paper, here on Mother Earth!
But we will surely have Eternity with all who have gone
before us.
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