I
remember my father returning home from a long day of work but finding
time to play catch in the yard. So I figured it was nice of me to show
interest when he took out a well-worn brown briefcase on most Sunday
nights.
Dad had a yellowed collection of papers and hand-written notes inside
that beaten up bag. Slowly, I came to realize these notes told the
story of his — and my — family.
That was my introduction to genealogy. I've adopted the hobby as my
own. I've spent countless hours in archives, libraries, and
courthouses searching through dusty court records, self-published
books, and databases. I've swabbed the inside of my cheek in search of
further answers.
There are always more questions than answers. Who were his or
her parents? What was in the mind of an ancestor as he fought
in the defining war of his generation — whether it was the
Revolutionary War, the Civil War, or World War I? What
made those
brave immigrants decide to leave their families in
their homeland
to seek a new life in America?
“It
is a great spur to look back on the worth of our line.”
— Lord Francis Bacon
