Every one of us is entrusted with about two hundred years of history. We inherit the stories our grandparents heard from their grandparents, and we pass our own stories to our grandchildren. If even one generation fails to tell them, two centuries of memory vanish forever. History doesn’t disappear only in libraries or museums. More often, it disappears around the kitchen table.
It is one thing to have authors or reporters record events, wars, the famous and the infamous. It is another to have photos, letters, bibles, and shared stories tucked away for future generations. It is particularly important to record the names to match the faces for those who come later with the question, “Who is this person?” or “When did this happen?” while combing through a pile of photos after you are long gone.
Places such as Ancestry can be very useful, but must come with a word of warning. Not everyone using the site is careful and many entries that might be there contain wishful thinking or careless documentation. Whenever possible back up what you find with wills, licenses, official citations and census entries. If you have a directly related male family member, encourage them to have a DNA test done as this is the only way to absolutely prove a male line. Female DNA can only prove the female line and name changes can make this difficult to find and research.
The fun part is telling the stories and passing down the words, so write it all down and put it with those labeled photographs then entrust the treasure to someone who will want to see it all passed along so the laughter and tears can echo far into the future.
Leave a Reply