Beyond Dates: Discoveries in Family History

It’s October and it’s National Family History Month…a perfect time to learn a bit more about your family history and heritage by talking with a parent, grandparent and if you’re lucky, a great-grandparent.

Learning how your great-grandfather managed to bring seventeen family members from Greece while working in the orchards of New England or finding out just why that dreaded potato stuffing is always served at Thanksgiving will bring your family history to life.

I admit I’m a genealogy fiend who enjoys searching out the dates of when my family members were born, married and died but I’m also keenly aware of the benefit of painting a picture of the lives lived behind those dates.

My own family history is a blend of data, stories, recipes, photos, video and a detailed family tree.

If you're looking to get started, here are a handful of suggestions as to how to begin:

1. Talk to a parent, grandparent or great grandparent and record their stories. Stories either fade away of become inaccurate with the passage of time unless they are captured in writing or recorded in some way.
2. Write down a few family recipes with the story of how and why those recipes became family favorites.
3. Travel to the hometown of a grandparent or great-grandparent. Be sure to take photos!
4. Pull out five to fifteen photos. Try to identify at minimum the names of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents as well as other relatives. Be sure to include maiden names for women. If possible, identify the date, place and reason for the photo. 
5. Take photos of family “treasures” and write out a short description of the item and why it is important or has special meaning to your family.

 

And if you’re fired up about learning the tricks and techniques of genealogy, be sure to attend Genealogy Discovery Day on October 15^th from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chelmsford Public Library. All are welcome to this free event which will provide guests with a chance to learn more the fun and challenge of discovering your family history.

Happy Family History Month!