DG: how did you become interested in geneology, and what have you learned about yourself through your investigations?
I became interested in genealogy because it is a part of my faith. We Latter-day Saints believe in the importance of knowing our ancestry because we believe we will be with our families in the eternities.
I've learned that family trees are full of all sorts of folks. Those you want to claim and those you would sell off at the drop of a hat.
I have a bigamist great-great-grandfather who started out fighting for the Confederacy but became a member of the federal troops when his company was attacked (yep--a deserter)...and then at the end of the war couldn't face going home so he moved to another state leaving behind a "widow" with children and started a whole new family. I have peasant stock and royalty. Pilgrims and mooncussers (pirates who lured ships to crash against rock and then robbed them.)
I have gypsy blood though my Swiss line and an ancester who ruled in early Britain named Ethelred the Unready...
And lots of plain ol' folks.
As for myself...I learned that some talents and traits seem to carry on but good looks seem to skip several generations at a time! I've also learned that I love solving a mystery. that's what genealogy is. Solving a mystery. Building a family puzzle.
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
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Updated On: 2/6/06 at 01:53 PM