My niece has gotten interested in the family genealogy, which in turn has caused me to open up my old family files and see where I left off. That's why I haven't posted as much lately. Between working on book three and trying to figure out who begot who...
It's amazing to me how much has changed since the first time I stepped foot into the genealogy section of the old Carnegie Library in Anderson, Indiana. I remember room being packed with books, file drawers, and microfilm. This was in the late 1970s. Computers weren't even on our minds. So, I learned how to research from two librarians -- Howard and Phyllis. I remember them both well. Howard was tall and heavy-set. He had slight tick to him causing his head to shake from side to side. I often felt like he didn't really care for "the younger generation" unlike Phyllis. She and I were the same height. Actually, I think she was shorter. She was the one who really helped me the most.
Looking back at the whole experience now, I consider it one of my best decisions in my life. I got to talk to a lot of people who are now gone. In my head, I have story after story about the family. I've spent years with stacks of books piled on library tables trying to piece together families. The hours I spent pouring over census indexes, making copies of the pages so I could make notes, going to the microfilm to discover disappointment after disappointment. And wow, what a great day it was when the 1860 Indiana census index came out! It was gold. But alas, all of those days are over. Now I can just go on-line and see if someone else has already done the research, use the databases, or just type in the name and see what comes up. A far cry from the days of xeroxing, doing the math of birth and death dates, and hoping that you get a response back from the local historical society four states away in a small town in the middle of the hills.
Genealogy was my first experience in major research. I learned a lot about creating searches, organizing information, and nurturing logic. But more importantly, I got to know my family. The times I would talk to my Grandma Alford about her life in North Dakota. Asking my Father about growing up in Park Place in Anderson. Listening to my Grandma Marshall talk about the bad times and then the good times. Getting to know those Aunts and Uncles who are all gone.
I've also learned something else. How to be glad I'm alive and how good a life I really have especially in the age of medicine, science, and technology. My family history is amazing to me. Stories of settlers, immigrants, hard-workers, and the odd ducks, who may have been poor, but happy.
I asked my Grandmother Alford and my Mother one time "What was it like to live during the depression?" My Grandmother replied "We didn't notice it. We had nothing to loose. Dad Alford worked odd jobs, we had a huge garden, and lived near family." My Mother added "We were poor, but we had good times."
What I would give to have met some of my relatives. I would have had a million questions.
CSM
It's amazing to me how much has changed since the first time I stepped foot into the genealogy section of the old Carnegie Library in Anderson, Indiana. I remember room being packed with books, file drawers, and microfilm. This was in the late 1970s. Computers weren't even on our minds. So, I learned how to research from two librarians -- Howard and Phyllis. I remember them both well. Howard was tall and heavy-set. He had slight tick to him causing his head to shake from side to side. I often felt like he didn't really care for "the younger generation" unlike Phyllis. She and I were the same height. Actually, I think she was shorter. She was the one who really helped me the most.
Looking back at the whole experience now, I consider it one of my best decisions in my life. I got to talk to a lot of people who are now gone. In my head, I have story after story about the family. I've spent years with stacks of books piled on library tables trying to piece together families. The hours I spent pouring over census indexes, making copies of the pages so I could make notes, going to the microfilm to discover disappointment after disappointment. And wow, what a great day it was when the 1860 Indiana census index came out! It was gold. But alas, all of those days are over. Now I can just go on-line and see if someone else has already done the research, use the databases, or just type in the name and see what comes up. A far cry from the days of xeroxing, doing the math of birth and death dates, and hoping that you get a response back from the local historical society four states away in a small town in the middle of the hills.
Genealogy was my first experience in major research. I learned a lot about creating searches, organizing information, and nurturing logic. But more importantly, I got to know my family. The times I would talk to my Grandma Alford about her life in North Dakota. Asking my Father about growing up in Park Place in Anderson. Listening to my Grandma Marshall talk about the bad times and then the good times. Getting to know those Aunts and Uncles who are all gone.
I've also learned something else. How to be glad I'm alive and how good a life I really have especially in the age of medicine, science, and technology. My family history is amazing to me. Stories of settlers, immigrants, hard-workers, and the odd ducks, who may have been poor, but happy.
I asked my Grandmother Alford and my Mother one time "What was it like to live during the depression?" My Grandmother replied "We didn't notice it. We had nothing to loose. Dad Alford worked odd jobs, we had a huge garden, and lived near family." My Mother added "We were poor, but we had good times."
What I would give to have met some of my relatives. I would have had a million questions.
CSM
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