Finding Your Family Roots
This is a Repeat Article with Updated Information
I have been researching my family roots for more than 25 years. In the process I have learned a great deal about my great grandparents and great great-great grandparents. I am still learning about my family. The family member that helped me the most was my aunt who lives in Washington, DC. She will be 94 years old in August. I first began this journey when I visited her and my cousin many years ago. While we were having breakfast one morning she began to talk about her family and growing up in the south.
As she spoke about her childhood on the farm in Alabama, I realized that she was telling a history that I never heard before. So, I stopped and said, “wait a minute, I will be right back.” I went into the bedroom and came back with a pen and a pad of paper. I wanted to take notes and record this very important history. This was my first step into genealogy—the search for one’s family roots. I have been on this journey ever since.
I have created a family book with all of the information that I have discovered to date. I have names, dates, and important places where my family lived, especially in the south. Several years ago, I interviewed a cousin who at the time was 87 years old. I found out that she was also researching our family roots. In speaking to her I found out that her son was a classical pianist who was known in Europe and traveled there to do concerts. Before I wrote this article, I decided to check with ancestry. com. I put his name in the search bar and found out that he passed away in 2003. I also searched the burial sites in Alabama and found his gravesite. I also found out that there was a major music award established in his name. I am interested to learn more about his life. I will add his story to my family booklet.
There is a page in my booklet that lists 16 educators on my mother’s side of the family. I have their names and the subjects that they taught. My cousin who was the family historian in Alabama made the following statement when I spoke to her years ago: “Our family believes strongly that educating our youth is a great investment in the future of the nation.” As an educator I have carried on this very important tradition. I have also created a CD with updated information that can be passed on to other family members.