May 31, 2009
TRACING OUR
ROOTS
FAMILY
HISTORY IS IRRESISTIBLE
Brenda Kellow
I can remember the times before becoming addicted to
genealogy. Vacations were just that—time away from pressures for relaxing and
rejuvenating oneself. Visits to cemeteries were comprised of either cleaning
around the grave of a relative or burying one. Sometimes one of those events
would bring back memories of stories told to me by my parents or grandparents.
Trips to the courthouse entailed filing for a marriage license and correcting
the spelling on my child’s birth certificate. Library excursions were to select
books to read about ancient history (not the genealogy kind), a biography or a
captivating mystery. Later I incorporated selecting children’s books for my
little ones. Summers were filled with swimming, biking, picnics and visits to
the country. Phone conversations were spent talking to my parents, aunts, and
uncles about old recipes, collecting stories about their youth and such. At that
time, I was certainly interested in family history, but not to today’s extent.
Although, I have always wanted to know from where I came and from whom I
inherited my genetic makeup. Nevertheless, it was not long until its discoveries
and mysteries seduced me.
There are numerous reasons why genealogy becomes addictive.
For me, I thought it was finding my parents on the census for the first time. It
was captivating to see them as children living in the household of their
parents. Examining the many pictures I have collected of them at the age they
were on the census was fascinating. Then, to go further and compare my
grandparents with the pictures in the collection when they were young and
raising a family was all I needed to shape my life in the direction of family
history research. Now my vacations have a purpose. I select specific places for
particular research. Planned routes pass near a target cemetery that needs
investigating. Excursions to courthouses are now a common event. Phone
conversations with relatives have a definite purpose. Library visits are genuine
research trips to the genealogy section. My attitude about swimming has changed.
I can swim in my own backyard, so why should I take the time to swim at a hotel
or on a beach when I could use that time toward perfectly good research time?
Instead, I spend my time in my office where I have a personal library.
Generations of family pictures hang on my walls.
New researchers learn quickly that finding your ancestors
is like putting together a complicated jigsaw puzzle with tiny pieces scattered
about! They immediately learn never to assume, but confirm every piece of
information before adding to the enigma.
GENEALOGY FRIENDS WINS AWARD:
Congratulations to Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc. for winning the
Certificate of Appreciation Award
from the City of Plano Heritage
Preservation Commission on May 28th for "their efforts and guidance
in the addition of the Genealogy, Local History, Texana and Archives [GLHTA]
section of the W. O. Haggard Library." Way to go Genealogy Friends!
THE HUMOROUS BRITS: Someone with a sense of humor in London is putting plaques
on benches alluding to the eccentric Devenish-Phibbs family without buying the
benches and paying for the plaques. One such bench sign said, “Your’re born,
you’re dying, your’re dead. If your relatives are cheap, they get you a bench.
Monty Devenish-Phibbs 1847-1910.” Another plaque reads, “This was one of my
favorite views. You can see it better if you move along the bench a bit. Come
on, shuffle along. Bit more. More. No, more. There. Now look. In commemoration
of Barbara Devenish-Phibbs: Mother, wife, nag.”
Boing, Boing, a directory of wonderful things on May 31 says the prank circles
back to croydevenishphibbs.co.uk, a site “maintained by a cranky silver surfer.”
His purpose seems to be that he is offering rewards for information on
his family history.
The
message on his home site is funny and I think you should check it out. You can
read the entire story on the Boing Boing site at
www.boingboing.net/2009/05/31/devilish-devenish-ph.html.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history,
teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s
histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a
Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunions announcements, books to review,
and genealogy queries to: TracingOurRoots@gmail.com.
