The theme of the upcoming 2020 Summer Reading program is “Imagine your Story.” How apropos to Genealogy.
Imagine your story without “their” story. Who is “their”? Step back and think…your story is the direct outcome of the choices made by your parents, their parents, their parents, and on and on and on. Any changes to those choices that were made would have a direct impact on whether you would be reading this today in the locale you find yourself in.
Starting with yourself as the “first generation” and going back to one’s “sixth generation” there is a total of 63 individuals who had direct influence on your life–and this does not include step or adoptive parents either!
I find it fascinating when an individual begins to research family history they often relate their endeavor as “my genealogy”; when in fact it is not a singular possessive, but a plural possessive. Not necessarily “my genealogy” but “our genealogy.”
Utilizing the links on the library’s website along with Family Search will provide a wealth of information to delve into your family. Research into a past does not guarantee findings of war medals or decorations, sports accomplishments and records, civil notoriety or stature or fame of any kind. Research will provide information from a wide variety of sources and its up to the researcher to take those pieces and form a story of the past.
The band The Who released an album with the title track “Who are You”. Let genealogy help with the discovery.
Carl Katafiasz
Head of Adult Services
Visit our Genealogy page for more resources to help research your family tree.