Thank you for subscribing to our monthly newsletter! We hope that you enjoy this month’s information. November celebrates Veterans Day and National Native American Heritage Month. If you want us to address a specific topic, send a message to tanya@familymattersgenealogy.com. We will discuss it in upcoming newsletters.
Honoring Veterans – The Meaning of the Holiday
Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, began in 1921 with the burial of an unknown World War I (WW I) American Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The chosen day of November 11th celebrated the end of WW I at 11:00 am on November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). A congressional resolution officially recognized Armistice Day in 1926. It became a national holiday in 1938. Parades and other festivities honored those that fought in the war. In 1947, Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized a National Veterans Day in Birmingham, Alabama. It was to celebrate those that fought in all wars. Congress passed a resolution proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day in 1954.
They Arrived, They Served, They Lived
Montford Point Memorial, Jacksonville, NC
Montford Point Marines
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established Executive Order 8802 in 1941 that barred racial discrimination among government workers and contractors. It also required that all branches of the Armed Forces recruit, enlist and train African Americans. Until this time, the Marine Corps was the last branch of the military that did not allow Blacks, Native Americans or other minorities to enlist. Due to this order, the Marine Corps started recruiting Black Marines on June 1, 1942. Their training center stood outside the gates of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. A segregated base named Montford Point was the only base that would train these Black Marine recruits.
Segregation in the South
Unfortunately, the executive order did not disband or discourage the segregationist practices that were prevalent in the military and in North Carolina. Jacksonville was not a welcoming town for the new black recruits. Many places in the town were off-limits to Blacks because of segregation. The railroad tracks divided the races and the Montford Point base. Recruits and Marines that ventured outside the gate only went across the tracks to the Black section of Jacksonville; they could not go downtown.
Camp Lejeune cleared the land for the Montford Point base; however, the recruits had to build their base themselves, constructing all the buildings and huts they lived in. Blacks could only go through the front entrance of the main base if escorted by a white officer. Begrudgingly, white officers trained the Black Marines until 1945, when all drill instructors were Black.
Between 1942 and 1949, Camp Montford Point trained over 20,000 African American Marines. They faced racism and discrimination but surprisingly it did not distract them from serving their country. Approximately 12,000 Montford Point Marines had duty in the South Pacific but never saw combat. The ammunition and depot companies (51st and 52nd Defense Battalions) saw action in the Battles of Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Integration of the Military
President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 that eliminated segregated military units in 1949. The government deactivated Camp Montford Point but it still remained a part of Camp Lejeune military base. Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California and Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina accepted Blacks recruits therefore intergrating the military.
On April 10, 1974, Montford Point was renamed Camp Johnson. Sergeant Major Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson, was one of the first Montford Point Marines and one of the first African American drill instructors. The Montford Point Marines exhibited strength and courage, not just as members of the military but by being the first to combat racism, discrimination, unfair practices and violence to pave the way for others to follow. I had the honor of volunteering at the Montford Point Museum this summer. It closed in 2018 due to severe damage from Hurricane Florence but recently reopened in April 2022.
Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month
The acknowledgement of Native American Heritage began on the 2nd Saturday in May as American Indian Day in 1915. Although not nationally recognized, New York celebrated on the 2nd Saturday of May in 1916. Starting in 1986, many celebrated Native American Heritage Day during the last week of November to coincide with Thanksgiving, calling it American Indian Week. In 1990, President Bush designated the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. It became fully accepted sometime after 1995.
Native American Records
There are several documents that can be used for researching your Native American ancestors. The National Archives have several collections for finding individuals, families, and tribes. These include Indian census rolls, treaties and laws, school records, and Bureau of Indian Affairs records. Here are a few of the most significant:
Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation Rolls (1848-1970) – this collection contains census records and rolls listing members of the Cherokee Nation. It lists the Cherokee and Council numbers, includes the Native American and English names, residence, individuals living in the household with their ages and genders, number of slaves (pre-Civil War) and type of livestock.
Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs (1824-1881) – this collection contains letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs between 1824 and 1881. This office was formed in 1824 to help broker relations between the U.S. government and Native Americans. If you are researching your Native American ancestors, knowing your family’s tribal affiliation and where they lived will help.
Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes (1898-1914) – The government established the Dawes Commission that negotiated agreements with the Five Civilized Tribes – the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. The agreements provided for the dissolution of the tribal governments and the allotment of land to each tribal member. The Commission prepared tribal membership rolls and oversaw applications for tribal citizenship. The Dawes Rolls contain approved and denied applications.
On Ancestry, there are over thirty databases, including seven free indexes of Native American records. If you need assistance with finding and reviewing specific records, contact us.
They Were the Wampanoag Indians
As a child, we all learned the “history” of Thanksgiving. It always bothered me that the name of the Indian tribe was never mentioned. The history books somehow erased the name of the specific tribe. This is a common scenario in American history books. From what I remember, the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of the harvest between the Pilgrims and Indians. The Indians brought a cornucopia filled with corn and maize to welcome the Pilgrims to their lands. Allegedly, they sat at a long table and at some point they smoked a peace pipe.
As I got older and took history courses, this grammar school recollection forced me to evaluate what I had learned and question the obvious. It was on a visit to my grandparents home in Massachusetts, I visited a Wampanoag Museum and became intrigued with Native American culture. The things I remember from that visit – his native attire, his story about the first Thanksgiving, how his people were left out of the story and that the Thanksgiving story told is not what really happened.
As I got older and read more, I discovered that the perpetrators became the storytellers who reconstructed the historical narrative. The truth from the Native American community, specifically the Wampanoag Indians who participated in that first Thanksgiving, has been reduced in elementary school social studies books. As with many erasures of historical facts about Native Americans, the truth about hostile land takeovers and brutalities against tribes would not make a good story for future generations of how this country came into existence…so changing the story and the outcome was necessary.
Client Corner – Cara L. Breaux Michel
I highly recommend Tanya Foreman as a genealogist! She started posting regular tips on how to preserve your family history. I mentioned to her that her timing was great because the theme for Black History Month that year was the Black Family. She offered to help anyone who was interested in getting their family tree started and I took advantage of that offer.
I had always thought about my family history. While I was always curious, I didn’t really take that leap until Tanya made that offer. I am extremely grateful that she did and I was so excited every time she shared something new. I would update my dad and siblings every time Tanya shared new information. As a result of this journey, I reached out to one of my aunts and found out that she had started a family tree on my mother’s side. She and I communicated more because of this.
One of the loveliest benefits that came out of this search was that I found out that Tanya and I have a family connection. How cool is that??? Tanya is thorough in her research. She asked questions that helped me communicate more with my family and find out answers to questions that I never knew I wanted to know. She did not let roadblocks stop her from continuing the search. I was totally and happily amazed at the results she was able to get (especially with my limited information). Tanya gets the top rating in my book and I would highly recommend and encourage anyone who wants to know about their family to use Tanya’s services. She is the best!
Looking for Lost Ancestors?
If you are interested in researching your family history (and I strongly encourage everyone to do so), let me know and I can assist you. For the month of November 2022, I will allow you to 2 FREE HOURS of research as a consultation BEFORE signing you on as a client! What does that mean? I will research your family for free up to 2 hours. After you receive my Fact Finding Report, you can decide if you want to hire me for further research. I offer several affordable packages depending on your research needs. If you are an amateur genealogist/family historian, I can create a research plan to guide you in the right direction.
Did you know?
Neither Rain no Sleet nor Stormy Weather Could Stop the 6888th Battalion!
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-African American, all-female postal military unit that delivered mail across England and France to American troops, government personnel and Red Cross volunteers during WWII. A warehouse in England stored millions of pieces of mail considered undeliverable. Mail improperly addressed or the shifting locations of troops made them hard to find. This affected the morale of servicemen because they could not receive packages or letters from loved ones. The Army estimated that it would take six months or more to deliver the backlog.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created The Women’s Army Corps (WAC) to include women in the war effort. First Lady Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt along with civil rights leader Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune advocated for African American Women to have a place in WAC despite segregation. By late 1944, about 817 African American women enlisted and trained in Oglethorpe, Georgia to serve overseas.
The Army established the 6888th battalion in February of 1945 and chose Major Charity Edna Adams to lead these women. They understood the perils of delivering mail in a war zone. The women of the “Six Triple Eight” worked three eight-hour shifts seven days a week around the clock to sort and deliver the backlog. Using this method, they created a new tracking system and managed to process the backlog in three months instead of the estimated six.
The British and the French celebrated and praised the 6888th but the United States ignored their valor and tenacity when they arrived back home. They returned to the United States in February 1946 without a parade, fanfare, or a hero’s welcome and the Army deactivated the unit shortly thereafter. On March 14, 2022, President Joe Biden awarded the 6888th the Congressional Gold Medal, 76 years after they disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Editor’s Note – HAPPY VETERANS DAY AND THANKSGIVING
The story of Montford Point resonates with me. Several years ago, my 90-year-old aunt asked me two questions to find out about her father: where did he learn to do masonry work? what happened to his World War I medal?
Of course I had to dig into full research mode. Both answers were connected to his enlistment in the Army. He was stationed at Camp Green in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a brand new training base that transported soldiers to the front lines in France. My grandfather was part of a 348th Labor Battalion.
Labor battalions often resembled a “slavery-like” work type. Black servicemen performed labor intensive work in the camps (building barracks, digging foundations, etc.), chain-gang like labor outside the camps, and contract labor by some officers.
My grandfather did manage to go overseas, arriving in France two weeks before the Armistice. He stayed in France for an additional six months, most likely to disinter soldiers to be sent home to the United States or to “clean up” after combat units. Between requesting his DD214, dealing with a backlog and COVID, the process took almost two years. I finally received his medal, the Victory Medal, and gave it to my aunt. His medal should have been given to him at the end of his service in World War I. Unfortunately, many African American servicemen did not receive their medals; they weren’t allowed to have them and the servicemen didn’t insist on it.
As you sit down and fellowship with your family this Thanksgiving, talk to your family about your ancestors. You might have had relatives that created a family tree or you have a famous relative. Maybe you had a Civil War vet in the family or your great grandmother was a suffragette. Every family has a story. Record these stories and pass them along to your children – that’s how you guarantee that your family history never dies.
Welcome to the last blog post for Family History Month! I hope you have enjoyed our discussions about learning how to research your family tree and learn your family history. There are certain misconceptions prevalent in genealogy. Many either misunderstand or misuse certain genealogical terms. I just want to take some time to set the record straight for a few things.
Plantations and Estates vs. Farms
The American South had approximately 46,000 plantations at the height of slavery. The sprawling plantations in the movies Roots, Gone With the Wind or DjangoUnchained are what we think of when we hear that word. However, the 46,000 count included smaller farms. So, what is the difference between a plantation and a farm?
A plantation was a large acreage of land whose main economic source was commercial crops. Plantation crops were sold strictly for profit. A farm was a small acreage of land whose crops were for commercial and private use. Many assume that the enslaved were only on plantations. This is not true. The enslaved worked on both plantations and farms. If you get a chance, review the 1850 and 1860 Federal Census Slave Schedules on the National Archives website. You will find plantations with over one hundred enslaved people as well as small farms with two or three enslaved people.
The Term ‘Slave’ vs ‘Enslaved’ and ‘Slaveowner/Master’ vs. ‘Enslaver’
Historians and genealogists have worked hard to transition people’s verbiage when it comes to slavery. There has been a push from saying ‘slaves’ to ‘the enslaved;’ the new term separates the person’s identity from their circumstance. Those that use the term ‘slave’ feed into the dehumanization of Africans who were seen as property. Instead, they should view those enslaved as people who had to have slavery imposed upon them based on racism and prejudice. For that same reason, the shift from the terms ‘slaveowner’ and ‘master’ have the same connotation, giving power and dominance to the enslaver and dehumanizing the enslaved.
Libraries vs Archives
I did not realize the difference between these two repositories until I visited the North Carolina State Archives while working on my Masters in History about four years ago. Well, I quickly discovered that there was a HUGE difference. Libraries are buildings that contain published materials to which the public has direct access. Visitors to libraries can review these materials either in-house or have the ability to check out items for a limited period of time. Archives are buildings that contain unpublished materials that are preserved because of their historical, genealogical or cultural value. Depending on the age and condition of the materials, the public has in-house access only under the watchful eye of an archivist. These materials include financial records, diaries, family bibles, newspapers, and other sensitive items that are incredibly old.
A Middle Initial for Women Does Not Always Mean There Is a Middle Name
Nowadays, most people have a middle name. Middle names became popular in the 1700s among the rich. Then, everyone liked the idea, especially when family members named their children after a relative. However, not everyone is graced with a middle name at birth.
Recently, I had a client that wanted me to find out her great-grandmother’s middle name. There were documents that had an “R” as an initial. I looked at multiple records and could not find anything to say about her middle name. Finally, I found a picture of her headstone with her full name written on it. After marriage, she used her maiden name (Reagan) as her middle name! She abbreviated the maiden name to an initial on official documents. I should have known this! My April 2022 newsletter addressed this same thing as I stated that women from wealthy families kept their maiden names after marriage because it was their status symbol for recognition in high society. I could have saved myself some time.
Family History vs. Genealogy
Did you know there was a difference? Well, your family history contains the colorful stories that your family members have passed down from generation to generation (see the blog post, Legacy, Legends, and Lies). These stories might include how your ancestors came to America, war stories from Grandpa, recollections of elementary school years, or participation in a protest march. These are stories that might be true or might be exaggerated. Genealogy is the study and research of your descendants in your family tree. The original documentation and evidence of your research prove your ancestors’ relationship with you and are 100% true. The two can mix and match – genealogical research can prove your family history.
Direct Ancestors vs. Indirect Ancestors
This is my biggest inquiry. Clients want to find a particular ancestor in their family tree. When I ask if the person they are looking for is a direct or indirect ancestor, they do not understand what I mean. Direct line ancestors are the people that are related to you through a parent-child relationship such as mother-grandmother-great grandmother, etc. Your indirect ancestors are the other people in your family tree – aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins. Think of it this way – you are the tree trunk. The trunk splits into two branches, your maternal and paternal branches. The aunts, uncles, and cousins are the twigs that grow from the branches. Those twigs extending out from the branches are your indirect ancestors.
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!
If you’re interested in knowing your family history but you don’t have the time or resources to do so, I have affordable packages to do the research for you. If you book the Kati or Kubwa packages TODAY before 11:59 pm, you will get a 10% discount plus a free gift! You must book and pay the 50% non-refundable deposit before 11:59 pm TONIGHT in order to receive the discounted services and free gift. Click here to contact me.
As we get closer to Halloween with zombie, skeleton and mummy costumes roaming the earth, we continue our discussion about death and its importance to genealogy. Let’s add funeral programs and obituaries to the conversation. As previously stated, it is easier to find about your ancestors through death than through life.
Death Certificates
Death certificates contain a gold mine of information about your direct line relative:
birth date
parents’ names and birthplaces
occupation
informant and their relationship to the decedent
As previous mentioned in our Health History is Family History blog, death certificates can keep you informed of family medical issues. Many diseases are hereditary and knowing this information can help you monitor your health care.
Obituaries
Obituaries are another path to get you the information you need to go further back in researching your roots. The official definition of an obituary is a written notice notifying the public of a person’s death. The notification can be in a newspaper, church bulletin or online. They are a short story about the deceased life. Funeral homes now post their client’s obituaries on their websites. Some obituaries can fill an entire page of a newspaper, especially if the decedent was famous or well-known in the community.
Funeral Programs
The ultimate to learning and discovering your family history can be found in the funeral programs! Newspapers limit obituaries to a few line while a funeral program can include everything AND the kitchen sink! They can perfectly map out your family’s tree and help scale those brick walls. Funeral programs give the decedent’s biography in as many pages as needed! Unquestionably, it is less expensive than an obituary written up in the newspaper (and longer too).
African Americans seem to collect funeral programs. While looking through my grandmother’s items, I found three funeral programs of relatives that had died 30+ years ago. The State of Virginia has made a collection of African American funeral programs from 1935-2009 available on a subscription genealogy site. A family member close to the deceased is always selected and trusted to write the funeral program and condense it for an obituary because they know intimate details about the person’s life.
Content of a Funeral Program
Depending on how close one is to their relative, they can create a one page program or a six page booklet with pictures! From all the funeral programs I have seen, I have learned:
Parents’ names
Spouse’s full name and marriage date
Children and stepchildrens’ full names (spouses names in parentheses)
Siblings
Grandchildren and great grandchildren
Birthplace
Schools attended
Fraternal organizations
Occupation and retirement date
Hobbies and activities
Church affiliation
Burial location (even mentioning if it is a family plot)
This information has been a treasure trove when researching my own family as well as those of my clients.
Keep all of this in mind if you are tasked with creating an obituary for a family member. Better yet, write a autobiography NOW that includes your important mentioned in the bullet points above plus other milestones, awards, recognitions, etc. Your relatives will thank you for it.
If you want in knowing your family history but you don’t have the time or resources to do so, I have affordable packages to do the research for you. If you book the Kati or Kubwa packages during October 2022, you will get a 10% discount plus a free gift!* Click here to contact me. Hurry – you only have 1 week left in October!!
*You must book and pay the 50% non-refundable deposit before 11:59pm on 10/31/22 in order to receive the discounted services and free gift.
Thank you for subscribing to our monthly newsletter! We hope that you enjoy this month’s information. If you want us to address a specific topic, send us a message at tanya@familymattersgenealogy.com and we will discuss it in the November 2022 newsletter.
Researching the 1890 Census
As you know from previous newsletters, the census records contains different information every time. The huge gap between 1880 and 1900 censuses frustrates genealogists and family historians because a lof of information cannot be determined, specifically the migration patterns of family members. However, the new categories on this census gave us more socioeconomic information for each family.
The 1900 census included the birth month and year of each member in the household. Additionally, it recorded the number of years a couple had been married (doing the math you could calculate the year of marriage) and the number of children born and the number of children still living for adult women in the household. This census incorporated the economic status of the family – whether the head of household owned or rented their home, whether the home was a house or farm and if it was mortgaged or owned free and clear. An enumerator noted farms and included a farm schedule. Farm schedules were important because they included the value of the property, number of acres, types of crops grown, number of livestock and the name of the owner if the farm was rented.
The month of October has a lot going on – Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Family History Month! In 2001, Senator Orrin Hatch, a Republican Senator for Utah, introduced a bill designating October as Family History Month to encourage people to research their ancestry. “By searching for our roots, we come closer together as a human family.” Try to dedicate some time during this month to do some kind of genealogical research on your family and immortalize it for future generations – in an album, a book or on a family tree site. During October, Family Matters Genealogy, LLC will offer a 10 % discount for Kati and Kubwa services plus a free gift. You must book and pay the 50% deposit before 11:59pm on 10/31/22 in order to receive the discounted services.
The Woman King is True History
I went to see The Women King, starring Viola Davis. It was an excellent movie about women’s empowerment, strength and independence. I knew that Dahomey was a real place because of a book written by Zora Neale Hurston. Situated in Western African in present day Benin (renamed in 1975), it is true that Dahomey was an essential factor in the Atlantic Slave trade with the British until 1852. Dahomey went to war with France in 1892 and in 1894, France defeated them. Afterwards, Dahomey became a colony of France but France did allow the royal families and its administrators to continue to rule the people. We will analyze what are true historical facts from the movie. For those that did not see it…SPOILER ALERT!
The Kingdom of Oyo existed and fought against the Kingdom of Dahomey over the slave trade. Both kingdoms sold captured enemies from neighboring tribes to the British and Portuguese to support their empires.
The King of Dahomey increased their palm oil trade as an economic alternative to the slave trade BUT only after the British prepared to discontinue the practice in its colonies in 1833. The movie reversed this fact.
Nanisca, played by Viola Davis, was a real Agojie but on a smaller, lesser known scale than in the movie.
King Ghezo, same as in the movie, reigned Dahomey from 1818-1858.
Dahomey had a real all-female army called the Agojie warriors. Originally organized as elephant hunters, they progressed to be the king’s guards. The population of men had significantly dropped because Dahomey was at war with other tribes in order to maintain their power in the region. Women had no choice but to fight to protect the kingdom from neighboring villages and tribes.
In the movie, the Agojie took an oath to remain single and childless to be a part of the army. However, the king considered the all the Agojie as his wives and did not allow them to date or marry anyone else. They lived in the palace with the king like in the movie.
Read Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston. Cudjo Lewis,a former slave, described his capture by the Agojie of Dahomey from his West African village in 1860. Imprisoned at a slave port in Ouidah (later named The Gate of No Return), he was sold to Americans by King Glele (son of Ghezo) and was illegally smuggled into Alabama on the last American slave ship Clotilda.
Of course, the movie has created controversy because of its “historical inaccuracies;” however, it is a depiction of true historical events with fictional characters. The Woman King is a great story with some historical facts sprinkled in.
CLIENT CORNER – SYLVIE MARRESE
I was gifted an Ancestry DNA test and received the results a few weeks later. I had no experience in organizing a genealogical search, as it seems quite overwhelming. She helped me organize every match, and together, we identified each and every branch possibility on the tree. My challenge was the many similar last names. in my DNA matches, that were not of the same family branch. Tanya guided the search by suggesting and using Ancestry’s website, uploading my DNA to GedMatch, My Heritage, 23 and ME, and to take an additional mtDNA test to align the results with my possible birth mom. She used DNA Painter to explain the centiMorgan complexities and to further map out relatives.
Aside from Tanya’s vast knowledge, it was her determination to move ahead past any obstacles. She was very supportive when emotions got the best of me. We found my Bio parents, within 4 months- a full sister, and half siblings and close relatives. I never in my life would imagine attempting a search without Tanya. Her guidance and knowledge of genealogy and the steps to build a family tree, were the keys to our success. I highly recommend Tanya for any of your genealogical needs. Her professionalism, determination, and perseverance are the key to anyone’s Ancestry search.
LOOKING FOR LONG LOST ANCESTORS?
If you are interested in researching your family history (and I strongly encourage everyone to do so), let me know and I can assist you. I offer several affordable packages depending on your research needs. If you are an amateur genealogist/family historian, I can create a research plan to guide you in the right direction. I am always willing to help.
DID YOU KNOW? Mermaids Come in All Colors
There has been an uproar when Disney announced that they were casting Halle Bailey as Ariel in their live-action revival of the Little Mermaid. The controversy stems from many believing that Ariel should remain white because mermaids are white. But…is that really true? Mermaids are mythical creatures, so how does anyone know they are strictly white? Did you know that mermaid stories were more well known in African countries than European countries? Let’s examine the history.
Myth of the Mermaid
Different cultures have depicted mermaids in their folklores and fables. So, who was the first to tell the mermaid story? The legend of Mama Wati dates back six centuries. Mama Wati was a West African mermaid or a water spirit who had long flowing hair and snakes as necklaces. She was notorious for sinking ships, promising fertility and prosperity to anyone who worshiped her and taking a human form with legs and appear in the least likely places.
Other countries had stories about mermaids – the ningyo, Matsya and duyung of Asia, Mama D’Leau of Caribbean stories, and the nommos of the Dogon people from Mali. There have been shrines of mermaids and other ocean deities that lined the west African coastlines from Senegal to Angola, the same coastline where slave ships kidnapped Africans to take to the Caribbean Islands and the Americas.
So why do mermaids have to be white? NO! Does everyone believe Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen created them for his book written in 1837? YES! Could Caucasian writers adapt these stories to make for interesting reading for their audiences? YES! Cultural appropriation happens all the time, especially from elements of African and African American culture.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I love October for many reasons. It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as a breast cancer survivor, this is the time of year that I raise money for the American Cancer Society. The other reason is because it’s FAMILY HISTORY MONTH!!! This is the time of year that I focus on my own family’s research, either by going through my family trees to update some records or look for more records as they become available on various genealogical sites. I take detailed notes for the book that I will write someday. For my family, I am currently researching my Davis, Teat and Fernandes lines.
Next month, we will celebrate Native American Heritage Month and Veteran’s Day by reviewing military records and Indian census records. If you have any genealogical questions, feel free to comment and I will feature your question in the next issue. Michael Crichton said, “If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.”
Know and love your family history. Peace, Love and Genealogy.
Last week’s blog post talked about digital photos vs. printed photos but for our final week of Save Your Photos Month, we will plan for the inevitable, death. Parents buy life insurance to pay for their funerals or to make life comfortable for their children. We make a will to distributethe important things in our lives between the ones we love, equally and fairly. We try to take care of our final arrangements, making sure those in charge know what to do. What about the family photo albums, memorabilia and digital pictures after our death? WHAT?!?! You never thought about this? Well, it’s time!
“By Failing to Prepare, You Prepare to Fail”
A very important quote from Benjamin Franklin that can be parlayed into many things in life. If you are the family historian (like me), it is important to make a plan after your demise. Is there someone in the younger generation that will take up the cause? Does someone in the family show an interest in continuing the family research? Is there anyone who cares at all?? That’s what you need to find out NOW. Seek out the current family historian at the next family reunion. Make sure they know your interests in taking over after they have gone. Talk to your children to see who might take on this task because making a plan is the first and most important step. Also make sure your family photos will be passed on after your death.
Make a Plan
If your Auntie/Grandpa/Mom/Dad agree to pass the family history torch to you, make sure they state it CLEARLY in their wills. Please make sure they let their heirs know NOW! We do not want surprises when the end comes and you try to retrieve unsuccessfully what you’ve been promised. I would highly recommend that you ask your relatives to pass it down to you NOW.
Also, have them go through the album with you. Have them tell you stories of the family members in the pictures (make sure you record it as oral history so you can write it down later). Additionally, make sure they go through their phones and computers to transfer any photos they might have stashed there. Encourage them to upload to a cloud service like Google Photos, Dropbox, shared drive, etc. If they are willing, ask them to share the username and passwords with you so you have access to it at all times.
Be Creative
Since natural disasters happen (seems like more often lately), scan all family photo albums and take pictures of any family memorabilia so you will have a digital copy. Upload this to a cloud service just in case. Last but definitely not least, create a book from the photo albums, memorabilia, newspaper articles, etc. for the next family reunion or to pass along after you! Make sure you include everything about yourself – the good, the bad and the ugly – so they know who you truly are. Include your immediate family and their adventures and mishaps. It’s the best gift you can give your future descendants and continue the family forward.
Next month is Family History Month! I am determined to make family historians out of EVERYONE! I’ve got some great stuff to share so stay tuned.
