(Inside: I’ve been digging around in my family tree to better learn my roots and the roots of my husband. What I have found is so cool. The Family History Lesson I didn’t expect as led me to a whole new hobby–and it’s awesome.)
When I was a young girl, my mom would tell me stories about our family.
Mom told me how her grandparents grew cotton, and how the kids had to work the fields.
She said that her mom would work in the fields all day, then come back to the farmhouse in the evening to prepare a meal.
My mom said that she and her mom would sometimes sneak into the watermelon field, break open a watermelon and eat it right there.
These memories were precious to my Mom, and I treasured her telling me.
But that’s really all she knew–some fragments of stories that really didn’t go much further back than her own grandparents
And, as far as sharing with my kids, that was really all we had on both my side of the family and my husband’s.
Just stories.
Which is ok.
But I was curious for more.
Well, I got more than I bargained for lately, y’all.
The Family History Lesson I Didn’t Expect
I have been able to not only trace the movements of my grandparents, but I can also see where my ancestors lived and worked for generations back.
The treasure trove of information I’ve unearthed has been eye-opening for me and my family.
My husband, was told that his grandfather was German who stowed away on a ship and sailed to the United States below decks. Wrong.
According to the information we’ve been able to find on Ancestry.com, my husband’s grandfather was actually born in the United States, and he wasn’t even of German descent.
Talk about eye-opening. LOL!!!
My husband’s grandfather actually had French roots. Can you believe that?
But the REALLY cool part is that we’ve been able to trace his family history all the way back into the 1200’s, through Ancestry.
That’s 25 generations.
We’ve found that some of his ancestors owned land and are buried in Tennessee.
We learned that some of his kin were actually fundamental contributors to the founding of Richmond, Virginia.
Mind. Blowing.
My early relatives were of English descent, and we may have been related to royalty (albeit a distant relation).
Talk about surprising, that.
I always wanted to be a princess as a kid…Guess I see where that comes from! LOL!
Now, every time I sit down and delve into our lines on Ancestry, I am totally engrossed, looking for more family history.
Each piece of information I uncover is like finding a diamond in my backyard.
It is impossible to tear myself away from digging just that little bit further, finding tidbits of information that either confirm a fact or puts me on a trail to another fact.
I feel like there’s so much there for anyone.
Even when you think you’re at a dead-end, it turns up more gems.
Freaking cool.
Know what else would be freaking cool? Sharing the love. Pin it now so you don’t forget this fun new hobby I found…
