I was reading a comment on Facebook today, someone wanted to run away from the frustration of her taxes and her genealogy. I probably shouldn’t admit that sometimes genealogy feels like taxes, huh? Genealogy mirrors life in so many ways, and getting past frustration to find the joy again is one of the best lessons it has to teach us. I have certainly had my share of frustrating brick walls and errors to get over. But I still love genealogy. I started by thinking it was all about finding the answers. Now also, I know a large part of the fun is the thrill of the hunt.
It’s so rewarding to struggle and then find a new place to look, either a new book or website; or a family member I haven’t interviewed. Sometimes it’s just great to come up with a new question (it’s always exciting to know my brain is still functioning!) There are many great books and Web articles about how to do genealogy, and checking out info for the new kids can refresh your senses. This is also a great way to double check the work you have already done.
Being reminded of the basic steps could help you figure out a new way to look at an old problem, or see a step you haven’t yet completed.
Lately I had been wondering if I should try to save more for future researchers to do, then I realize there is no such thing as done, so there will always be plenty for others to do. There will always be “new” ancestors to find to fill in blanks in the family trees. Even better, each person who works on your family history will bring their own interpretation to the storytelling; so even if they investigate the same people, they will still be getting to know their family in a way that is personal for them.
Although my sisters and I have worked together for years, we still have our own ways of expressing what we have found. We organize our notebooks in different ways, and while we all collect the same basic facts, we each look for other kinds of additional information. Cindy loves to look at maps, I love photos, and we both appreciate what the other has found. We enjoy discussing the possibility of trips we might take to do research, even when we don’t expect to actually take those trips. We like talking over places to look, and we periodically check on work we’ve already done to see if there is something we can do to expand on it. Cindy is really good about reading and remembering ideas she gets from it. Bridgett is great at finding stuff on the Internet. Marcia can find obscure references in disorganized old newspapers on microfilm.
Every person who gets involved in your family story will bring their own strengths in their own time. Even if you are working alone, you can use the thoughts of other genealogists and historians to help your research; to help you become a part of your family’s history. That’s the beauty of genealogy.
Columnist Nina Brawn of Dover-Foxcroft is a longtime genealogy researcher, speaker and teacher. Reader e-mails are welcome at ninabrawn@gmail.com. Her semimonthly column is sponsored by the Aroostook County Genealogical Society which meets the fourth Monday of the month except in July and December at Cary Medical Center’s Chan Education Center at 6:30 p.m. Guests are always welcome. FMI contact Edwin “J” Bullard at 492-5501.
