Family History Is an Exciting Subject!

Once you get going on your family history, you will find it a fascinating, exciting subject. Dig deeply for nuggets of information about every single member. Have fun with your family.

I bet you all have read family histories that go like this: The Jones family lived all their lives in Macon Georgia. Grandpa Jones farmed all his life. Grandma Jones had seven children, four boys and three girls. Grandma and Grandpa Jones died a few months apart in the same year, 1935.

The oldest son spent all his life in Macon Georgia. He was a farmer. You get the idea. Page after page.

Almost everyone in the world lives an interesting life. If you are the family historian, it is your job to find fascinating facts about your family members.

Start out at home interviewing everyone you think knows anything about your family. Keep at it and do not stop. You never know who you will run into that will tell you some interesting things about your ancestors.

I went to a small town where a paternal uncle and aunt lived and died. I needed death certificates, birth certificates of the children and any information available.

After they had made copies of the certificates, everyone in the courthouse started telling me about the family. They remembered this and that. I could not wait to get home and write down all I had learned. The experience put life into those relatives.

In order to keep looking into ancestors, you need to find some fascinating facts to spur your interest.

Thanks to an Irish researcher and a cousin, I quickly found where my paternal and maternal great and grand parents originated. They all lived on small islands alongside Ireland accessible only by sea.

After many drownings, the one family moved to the main island. My grandfather tired from the dangerous crossing from the island of Dursey to Ireland to mine for copper, moved to the town of Allihies and built a house there.

Constant wars changed the boundaries of Denmark. Some of the richest areas of the country were taken by Sweden and Austria. The religion was changed from Catholic to Lutheran. One of our grandfathers deserted the army during World War I. It was no big deal as Denmark remained neutral.

I have one “bad” uncle. I have his birth certificate, but nothing on his death. Newspapers are wonderful for colorful stories about your ancestors. I found that uncle sued grandma for money after grandpa died and that he robbed a saloon but nothing more violent than that.

Everyone has a story to tell. You must keep poking around until you find the exciting details. Then, making your family tree will be fun and rewarding.

Source by Elizabeth Larsen