The thrill of the hunt
It’s so rewarding to struggle and then find a new place to look, either a new book or website; or a family member I haven’t interviewed. Sometimes it’s just great to come up with a new question (it’s always exciting to know my brain is still functioning!) There are many great books and Web articles about how to do genealogy, and checking out info for the new kids can refresh your senses. This is also a great way to double check the work you have already done.
Being reminded of the basic steps could help you figure out a new way to look at an old problem, or see a step you haven’t yet completed.
Lately I had been wondering if I should try to save more for future researchers to do, then I realize there is no such thing as done, so there will always be plenty for others to do. There will always be “new” ancestors to find to fill in blanks in the family trees. Even better, each person who works on your family history will bring their own interpretation to the storytelling; so even if they investigate the same people, they will still be getting to know their family in a way that is personal for them.
Although my sisters and I have worked together for years, we still have our own ways of expressing what we have found. We organize our notebooks in different ways, and while we all collect the same basic facts, we each look for other kinds of additional information. Cindy loves to look at maps, I love photos, and we both appreciate what the other has found. We enjoy discussing the possibility of trips we might take to do research, even when we don’t expect to actually take those trips. We like talking over places to look, and we periodically check on work we’ve already done to see if there is something we can do to expand on it. Cindy is really good about reading and remembering ideas she gets from it. Bridgett is great at finding stuff on the Internet. Marcia can find obscure references in disorganized old newspapers on microfilm.
Every person who gets involved in your family story will bring their own strengths in their own time. Even if you are working alone, you can use the thoughts of other genealogists and historians to help your research; to help you become a part of your family’s history. That’s the beauty of genealogy.
Nina G. Brawn has lived in the Dover-Foxcroft area for over 50 years and currently lives there with her husband Fred. Nina was the last of 10 children, has three children of her own and nine grandchildren. She can be reached online at ninagbrawn@gmail.com.