How I Got Started in Genealogy

Randy Seaver asked in his Saturday Night Genealogy Fun Post, “How Did You Get Started in Genealogy?” Here’s my reply. I’d love to read others.

In 1996, my dad had been diagnosed with brain cancer, but was receiving weekly treatments that I drove him to. I realized that his life was short, and he was an only child. He and his parents came here from Luxembourg in 1949. All the other family lived overseas and over the years, we’ve stayed in touch only through letters, I wanted to know more. I realized that our car rides to therapy were the perfect opportunity to talk about his childhood – stories that I heard and new ones too. I’d write down the stories when I got home. When he died, that was when I began to actively pursue my research. (Mostly stay-up-until-2-AM kind of research because my children were young.)

But looking back on my own childhood, I realized I’ve always interested in genealogy (before I knew the word.) I hung around the “old people” at my mom’s family gatherings, asking them to tell me a story about when they were a little boy or girl. My maternal aunt typed a family tree in the early 1970’s and I kept a copy. When my maternal grandmother died in 1979, I found myself being the only under-60 person at the viewing. I went around the room with a little notebook and ask my grandmother’s relatives questions and stories. When I got married, I wanted to learn about my husband’s side of the family which, unlike my immigrant family, has a rich pre-Revolution history. My in-laws held a picnic wedding reception for us, at their farm property. I taped up long strands of shelf paper in the barn and asked his aunts and uncles to write down the family tree as they knew it, (and actually called it a contest.) All these pieces of paper; my aunt’s early tree, the funeral notebook, rolled up shelf paper, car ride notes and letters from Europe, were thrown in a box.  

After my father’s death, I inherited a little money and bought a computer and my first FamilyTreeMaker program and entered the data from that box in the closet. By looking at the little funeral notebook, European letters, and scrolls of shelf paper, I found out who knew the most about each family. I wrote them letters for more information and when possible, interviewed them. My father’s mother, who remembered a lot of information herself and lived 10 more years, helped write more over-seas letters. 

For the first time I went to my local Family History Library, run by the Church of Latter Day Saints. Soon I volunteered there, partly to earn the discount in the cost of the many microfilms (over 100) that I ordered. I enjoyed helping people research their families when it was busy and working on my own when it was quiet. I met the nicest people and learned from the customers and other volunteers. I had a key so I could go any time and study the films. Over the years, research changed drastically. Instead of order films and looking at them at the library, the internet was almost exclusively being used. Traffic at the Family History Library was greatly reduced.

After 15 years, it was time to make a change. My 2012 New Year’s resolution was to “amp up” my genealogy. I started by attending my first genealogy organization meeting. At the meeting, it was announced that the Arlington Heights Memorial Library needed genealogy room volunteers. I felt like that announcement was meant just for me. I had spent many pleasant hours there and called for an interview and was “hired.” There is more traffic at the new library and I love helping people. Part of the Thursday night gig included teaching a monthly beginning genealogy class. I loved it. Teaching genealogy had always been a goal and I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity.

Well, one thing lead to another and with a little luck within a year, I was teaching 7 or 8 week courses for local high school adult education programs and giving presentations to local genealogy groups.

Now since I’ve researched much of my family and my husband’s family, I am concentrating on writing stories. With that in mind, I started this blog. I’m fortunate my husband encourages me and sometimes helps me research. We recently retired, so I’m finding more time to create and teach classes, read about new resources and write. I’ve finished writing my first book, but still need to work on the publishing part; indexing, formatting the text, etc. A work in progress. In the meantime, I add to my presentation subjects, usually something I’m interested in for one of the family branches, so I keep learning and finding stories to write.