Genealogical treasures for the ages... right under your nose!

One of the first steps when you decide to begin your family history research, is to seek out your older relatives. Do not just talk to them, involve them. Find out what they know, but also what they have.

 

My great-great-grandmother was born in 1887 lived to be 103, not dying until I was in high school, and she appears to have been the sentimental sort.  After she died, my grandmother found three items among her possessions that have proved a genealogical treasure trove.

 

1) An old photo album. She had photos dating back to the early twentieth century, including wedding photos of my great-grandparents, in 1926! She also had photos of herself as a young girl, both with and without her parents. The most recent photos in this album were from the 1960s, showing my father and his brothers as schoolboys. To bring it home, the album also had an announcement for my own birth and a news item from her local paper talking about my birth as her fifth generation descendant!

 

2) An old spiral notebook. Working with her aunt, my great-great-grandmother had carefully compiled all of the names, and dates of birth, marriage, and death of all of the descendants of her grandfather, a Civil War veteran. The notebook is not dated, but you can see that notes were written in different inks, so she must have continued to update the dates as events occurred. The latest dates were those of my father’s generation.

 

3) An old scrapbook. This scrapbook contained newspaper clippings and obituaries for nearly the entire extended family dating from her grandparents, down through the 1950s. She did not record the sources (shame on her!) but the information held in the obituaries has provided the clues necessary to trace entire branches of the family tree, and even identify some of those who appeared in some of the old photographs.

 

As you can see, as you delve into your family history, sometimes the greatest rewards are held right under your nose. Be sure to talk to your older relatives, and find out what they know—and what they might have!