By Donnie Boursaw
Can you name your 4 grandparents? How about your 8 great-grandparents, or your 16 great-great grandparents? If you can trace your family back to the Mayflower in 1620, you are an 11th generation American, with 2,048 great grandparents, and 4095 surnames. According to a poll done on behalf of Ancestry.com, only 47% of Americans could name all four of their grandparents, and only 4% could name their great-grandparents. The 2000 census recorded 269 five generation families under one roof out of 105 million.
Why do you need to know who these people are? Sometimes it’s for health or medical reasons, sometimes money can be involved, but the bottom line is they are family, your family, warts and all, and they are the reason you exist. Whether you are from the silent generation, a baby boomer, or generation X, Y, or Z, you are a member of a family.
As a boy author Alex Haley used to listen to his grandmother, a former slave, tell stories about his family in Africa. When he became a young man, he began to search for the evidence that would back up the oral tradition he was taught as a child. In the 1970’s Haley, wrote a book documenting his quest and ignited a worldwide interest in the social science of Genealogy. The book, “Roots” became a major television mini-series and Genealogy, and family research took center stage. The industry boomed.
Ever wonder where your red hair came from? Where did you get your blue eyes? Do you have a genetic trait that runs in the family? Did your ancestors come from Germany, Poland, Africa, France, or England? When and why did they leave? What made them come to America and not settle in France, Italy, or Australia? How did you get your surname, and does it have a meaning? Was someone in your family on the Mayflower? Family stories are a great place to start. If you have older relatives, grandparents, aunts, or uncles start asking questions now, before they go the way of all the earth.
What’s your heritage? Most American’s are mixed. I am German and Scottish on my father’s side, and English, Irish, and French on my mother’s. I have ancestors with Scottish names who were born in Poland or Germany. How did that happen? Is there a soldier, sailor, tinker, or tailor in your line?
Our ancestors created and lived the history we study in school. They left behind a legacy that is many times unappreciated, ignored, or considered unimportant to those who benefit from their sacrifices. They form the foundation of your identity and although they are no longer among the living, they still have an influence on your life. Have I piqued your interest?
If your curious about your family, tired of being retired, want to learn a new skill, or solve a mystery, Email us at [email protected]. Ask us a question, embark on a quest, or find out where you can get the answers.
