So here is the deal...
I have avoided family history for the last 10 years. My Mother-in-law is really into it. She loves it. I enjoyed public history - how people lived not who they were related to. So I avoided it. When I was asked to become the Historian of Saratoga, I asked my mother-in-law to be the Deputy Historian - in part to deal with the family history questions. Each year, I have had dozens of family history questions and I just did not know how to answer them.
Then last week, my Aunt Sue sent me an email about my family history. I knew on my father side there was my father and his sister. My grandfather who passed when I was 5 years old. Then a series of cousins that we were close with and as children we spent many summers together. On my father's mother side there was little that I knew.
On my mothers side, I knew more from visiting Ireland when I was 10. I went my grandmothers farm house - which was 100 years old - with a dirt floor My grandfather family also lived on an active farm in what I thought was a 19th Century manor house. I visited that farm again in the 1989 and found modern prospering farm.
So my Aunts email had all this information about the family. I knew little of it - but I see all these connections. Also that week, my mother and her sister - Aunt Marie were visiting. They had all sorts of information about their family. My Aunt Marie was great about going into the census and we were able to fact check some information.
So I share this newly found information with my mother-in-law and she decided that the bug has bit and you have to act now. She gives me access to her subscription (but not used) to Ancestry. I start entering information and I find that there is some great work done Irish Bridget (what a great name) and a Burke family.
Well things are taking off. There are at least 4 people working on the Kelleher branch. From what I can see they have been working for a long time, the research is documented. There is one lady Liz who is going to the city clerks office looking for death certificates.
So this week this is my focus. More to come....
I have avoided family history for the last 10 years. My Mother-in-law is really into it. She loves it. I enjoyed public history - how people lived not who they were related to. So I avoided it. When I was asked to become the Historian of Saratoga, I asked my mother-in-law to be the Deputy Historian - in part to deal with the family history questions. Each year, I have had dozens of family history questions and I just did not know how to answer them.
Then last week, my Aunt Sue sent me an email about my family history. I knew on my father side there was my father and his sister. My grandfather who passed when I was 5 years old. Then a series of cousins that we were close with and as children we spent many summers together. On my father's mother side there was little that I knew.
On my mothers side, I knew more from visiting Ireland when I was 10. I went my grandmothers farm house - which was 100 years old - with a dirt floor My grandfather family also lived on an active farm in what I thought was a 19th Century manor house. I visited that farm again in the 1989 and found modern prospering farm.
So my Aunts email had all this information about the family. I knew little of it - but I see all these connections. Also that week, my mother and her sister - Aunt Marie were visiting. They had all sorts of information about their family. My Aunt Marie was great about going into the census and we were able to fact check some information.
So I share this newly found information with my mother-in-law and she decided that the bug has bit and you have to act now. She gives me access to her subscription (but not used) to Ancestry. I start entering information and I find that there is some great work done Irish Bridget (what a great name) and a Burke family.
Well things are taking off. There are at least 4 people working on the Kelleher branch. From what I can see they have been working for a long time, the research is documented. There is one lady Liz who is going to the city clerks office looking for death certificates.
So this week this is my focus. More to come....
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