Meandering Thoughts

Meandering Thoughts
Summer

Monday, February 28, 2011

My Latest Obsession

It's true, I have another obsession!  It all happened very innocently.  I was watching a TV program on Friday evening.  A well recognizable actress was investigating her family ancestors.  The show is recording the journey to finding a persons family history.  I have watched it before and been very intrigued.  I have come from a family that is full of gaps in the linage.  No one talked about things that happened, how they happened or why.  I have been in the dark for years about my family history.

DeRemer/Warman Family 1909
So, I signed on to Ancestry.com and my obsession began.  My mind is boggled by all the information I found.  I started a family tree and began with names and birthdays that I knew and then followed the leads they provided.  My brain cannot handle all the information, I am swimming in names of parents, siblings and spouses.  Some of my great-great-great grandfathers were married two or even three times, resulting in twenty or more children!!  Really, how on earth did they manage to provide for so many? 

Today, I am as confused as I was before I started.  I can't find some key people in my family, the line is totally disconnected.  Will I ever know my true heritage?  Does it really matter?  I guess the cool part is getting some of this information recorded and maybe in some later generations, someone, will be looking into my family history and can connect the dots to their ancestors.  Pretty cool, this latest obsession.

4 comments:

  1. Cynthia,
    As a genealogist for the past 32 years, I can tell you, you really need to do your own research on your family.
    Start with yourself, then parents, then grandparents. Also keep in mind that people summit information perhaps they received from someone else to ancestry and did verify the information themselves. What you know to be fact is important! Document resources to back up you information.................
    Happy hunting :)
    Kim M. Wainscott f/b friend

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  2. Cynthia,
    Oops, type O.............people summit information, they DO NOT verify themselves!

    contact me an perhaps I can help
    Kim M.W. fb friend

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  3. You have to be very careful on Ancestry website. As anonymous said, some people just put things on there without verifying & they might show up as hints. My SIL's mother put someone on my tree that didn't belong. The name, city, age, etc were the same, but I know for a fact that one great uncle was not in the Ohio State Institute! lol I asked her to please don't, "Help" me anymore. I was lucky to have or find old obituaries to help with sibling names, etc.
    I did find a distant relative on there who contacted me & ended up emailing me pics of my Great Grandfather's family pics. I knew all about his name, etc but I couldn't find him at all ANYWHERE online. This guy furnished me with death cert, work photos, etc! It was like finding gold.
    Have fun!!!
    Carolyn D

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  4. I have been on mine the last couple of months, too! Interesting finds, so far. Hope I stumble onto some my cousin couldn't find. It's a ureka moment when you do find a lead that proves to be right, of course.

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