Heritage Quest

Heritage Quest

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Uncovering Your Roots

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By

Jami Lynn Sands

Copyright ©2012 by Jami Lynn Sands

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Smashwords Edition: May 2012

Images by Microsoft

Cover design by Carey Mozena

Sands of Time Publishing

Made in USA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my family for their never ending faith in me and unwavering support.

To Greg Parks, Editor for publishing my column as a community service.

To friend, Randy Neff,

for his willingness to share his knowledge with myself and the

readers, as well as his experience

and dedication to preserving our history.

To colleagues and friends, Beverly Kerr, Carey Mozena and Rick Booth for their generous time, and technical skills. You truly are earth angels.

To the many library employees and the Genealogy Society volunteers who have been so helpful over the years in assisting me with my research.

To you, the readers of my books and columns for your kind words and encouragement.

Contents

Ch. 1. Getting Started

Setting Goals & Making it Happen

Getting Organized

Fill in What You Already Know

Begin With the Clues You Already Have

Time for a Recap

Ch. 2. Using the Computer

Keeping Files Organized

Internet Resources

Ch. 3. Useful Information

Ancestry vs. Nationality

About Surnames

Locating the Ancestral Village

The Cousin Connection

The History of the Postcard

Ch. 4. General Research

Getting the Facts

Local Research

Lifestyles of Our Ancestors

Ch. 5. Research Through Government Agencies

Military

US Census

Social Security Administration

Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration

US Port of Entry

Ellis Island Foundation

Ch. 6. Researching Obituaries & Cemeteries

Using Obituaries for Leads

About Cemeteries

Some Background on Cemeteries

Understanding Symbolism in Cemeteries

Ch. 7. Networking

Posting Queries

Getting & Staying Motivated

Whom to Interview

Interviewing Our Elders

Interviewing Siblings

Making Connections

Ch. 8. Handling Sensitive Information

Changes & Confidentiality

Family Secrets

To Know or Not to Know

Ch. 9. Journaling

Factual Data Journal vs. the Memory Journal

Create a Timeline Diary

Ch. 10. Types of Journals

From This Day Forward Journals

Individual Personal Journals

Past Memory Journals

School Memories

Not for Women Only

Ch. 11. Preserving Our Heritage

Choosing the Format

Themes for Heritage Albums

Recommended Tools

Elements to Use in Heritage Albums

Including Memorabilia

Preserving Family Secrets

Tools for Advanced Memory Books

Note to the Men

Ch. 12. Photos

Preserving Old Photographs

Postmortem Photography

The Importance of All Photos

Ch. 13. Leaving a Legacy

Legacy Writing

Questions for Legacy Writing

Example of a Cover Page

Creating a Time Capsule for Our Descendants

Ch. 14. Our Values & Traditions

What Will Matter

Counting Our Blessings & Sharing Our Traditions

The Gift of Parents

Setting Goals for a New Year

The Changing Times

Glossary

Bibliography

About the Author

PROLOGUE

And the point is...

As we reach 50 plus, if we haven’t already done so, we examine our life and wonder if we have made a difference, and if our descendants will know whom we really were. It all began as an idea to make a heritage scrapbook for each of my adult children and soon turned into a quest to locate and document our roots. When I realized I had very little data on our lineage to add

to it, I knew I had to do something to make it meaningful. But what were the facts and who was alive that would have known them? Sadly, there are not many depending on how far back you wish to go.

In researching, I realized that unless you were someone famous, seldom is anything written about you to give any insight into the person you were or what you were about. Imagine how wonderful it would be if every person had left a bit of a legacy recorded for the generations to come.

This book is about learning to help each other do so. Its purpose is to offer ideas and tips to assist you in your quest to uncover the past. It will also offer you creative ways to preserve the information you uncover.

The why of it…

Genealogy (literally meaning the study of one’s genes) is meant to be a recorded history of a person’s lineage. Those who do not understand its purpose may see it as unimportant or as a way of living in the past. Nothing could be farther from the truth. When working to preserve your heritage, it is important to see what you can uncover about your family tree. What you may find will both surprise and delight you. Generations to come will be grateful that you cared enough to preserve it for them.

Whenever possible, it is important to know something about our history from a medical standpoint. In addition, it can help us to understand genetically how we have come to be the person we are. When we don’t understand the why of it or the source of certain traits, it can be very difficult to move forward. It is also helpful to know if any of our ancestors faced similar issues and how they handled them. Knowing who we are and where we came from is only the first benefit of genealogy research. More importantly, as you research, you will become aware of relatives, no matter how distant, that you didn’t even know you had. New relationships with family are built through research, contact and networking. You never know who will come into your life; some maybe for just a little while, others will stay a lifetime. New friends will be made with others who have a passion for research and networking. These friendships too, can last a lifetime. Yes, life gets in the way and work responsibilities take over our lives. A lot of the household chores simply have to be done eventually. All too often relationships are put on the back burner, because everyone is busy and time goes by. Soon the time comes when it’s too late to ask the questions we wanted to ask or visit the people we wanted to know better. The longer we wait, the more faded their memories become, and the more difficult it is to get accurate information. It really is true that time waits for no one. Grandma knew what she was talking about when she said, It’ll still be there when you‘re dead and gone. She couldn’t have put it any plainer that what we think matters, matters little in the overall scheme of things. It is the quality time we spend with others that lasts and teaches us life’s lessons.

Therefore, I cannot stress enough the importance of not putting off getting to know extended family. Interview them now for their point of view on the family heritage. Many of them have forgotten more than we ever knew about our own lineage. With a little memory jogging and the right questions, it is amazing what comes back to them. Each person you interview will offer a different perspective.

Yes, it can be time consuming, but it needs to be done now before it’s too late, and while there are still living contacts, that you can build a relationship with. Whether you are a senior wanting to live life to the fullest, someone pursuing a career, a busy mom, or somewhere in between, this book is dedicated to helping you make the most of the resources and time you have. The biggest cost IS your time and I promise, you will be so glad you invested in it. It is part of the legacy we leave for future generations.

I am often asked, what is the point if I have no children to leave it to? If you have no heirs, give it to other family members. Otherwise, donating it to the library or local genealogy society is the ideal place for such a journal to leave your mark on history. And so the quest begins… revisiting the past through genealogy…enjoy your journey.

*****

Although every effort has been made to maintain the accuracy and verify the information contained, I acknowledge that the words are my own and therefore may contain errors. All websites suggested were active at this writing.

You will also find a bit of what may seem like repetition in some chapters. In these cases, the point is so important that it bears repeating. It is my utmost desire and intention that this information be beneficial to you.

Chapter One

GETTING STARTED

Setting Goals & Making it Happen

Once you realize that the time period to acquire good information is as limited as life itself, set some timeline goals and do your best to adhere to them. Nothing is more motivating, especially when you see how one clue leads you to several more. However, your first goal is to get organized by deciding on how you want to store and use your acquired information. Then you can begin with information you already have available to you as suggested in further chapters.

Getting Organized

As you might guess, just like with everything else, good organization is essential to making the most of our genealogy research materials and our precious time. One of the most important things we can do for ourselves is to bring order into our lives, and not only with our genealogy research materials, but also with our personal lives. Dumping the clutter helps rid us of negative energy. You will feel so much more like pursuing other interests with freed up time and space to work in. The more organized we are, the easier and smoother it flows. If you have computer access, there are many good software programs available to help you keep it organized. Costs will vary and you may even find some basic ones free online. You can also organize it yourself with an office/word program, by creating various files and folders. (See chapter on Using the computer). For those who do not want to invest in learning computer software or do not have a computer or basic computer skills necessary to do so, there are other tried and true methods of staying organized, as evidenced below. However, for the countless bits of information such as photocopies, notes, photos, clippings, etc. you will discover while you are researching, a hands-on system is still necessary for organization. You will want to use whatever method is easiest for you and best motivates you. Also consider what will best keep your information properly organized.

There are a couple of tried and true methods to choose from. The following are some resources you will need, as well as a couple of suggested methods (A or B) to choose from; or create your own system with a combination that works for you.

(A) Start with expandable file folders and either a plastic crate, a plastic storage bin with a lid, a file cabinet or anything else you can keep your file folders in along with a pad of sticky notes. Make a list of all surnames on both sides of the family. Write a surname on each tab or sticky note and attach to a folder. As you accumulate data, such as copies of census, birth, death, marriage certificates, etc. you can file them appropriately. You can then take the file folder you are working on with you in your research.

(B) Use a soft cover notebook or binder. A report-cover (lighter weight for portability) works well temporarily, and don’t forget a 3-ring punch, to punch holes in your accumulated documents. However, it is a good idea to choose one that already has pockets or add the cellophane pocket pages to it for tucking in documents that you don’t want to punch holes in, such as photos, birth/marriage/death certificates, etc. You can use tabbed dividers for each surname or simply make your own dividers with cardstock. Again, it’s portable enough that you can take it with you in your research. This way you can avoid making duplicates of info you may already have.

You will also need a spiral bound notebook for taking good notes. Choose one with pre-punched holes. It will make it easier for organizing in case you decide to use the data in a binder at a later date. Or you can carry loose-leaf pages with you to interview if you are planning on using a binder to insert them into. If you haven’t already gotten a timeline diary started (please refer to the chapter on Journaling), start one by