Are your ancestors harder to find than Waldo?
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Sometimes, finding family ties is next to impossible. Sometimes, a lead will sit dormant for years. Sometimes, information falls into your lap. Sometimes it all makes sense. Sometimes, you begin to recognize the bark on the tree because you've circled that stump more than once.
This week, I received an unexpected item from a cousin when she came across a birth announcement from the 1900s. No baby's name and only a partial date. The news was written on a leather postcard (I didn't even know there was such a thing!). But I had the answers to the missing pieces.The point I'm trying to make, is that you never know where a clue may appear. This is why I suggest announcing to everyone you know about the project you've under taken. You'll be surprised where items will be found and how generous people will be with pictures and back stories. Some places you don't want to overlook in your search are:
- Books You may even find money, calling cards, and who knows what else
(especially pressed flowers from a special occasion) hidden between the pages - Family Bible Some Bibles include a section that allows you to record special dates and
events for posterity. If someone else in the family is keeper of this, see if they'll consider
sharing the information. - Cookbooks Even if you don't find clues, you'll be able to stir up an old family recipe.
Recipes may also give you insight as to the welfare of the family, especially during hard
times like the Depression. I found a recipe for "cheese strata" that looked well worn and I'm
sure served the family during times of need. For those of you who have never served cheese
strata, it's layers of day-old bread stacked with cheese between the slices of bread; then
generously coated with butter and paprika (salt, pepper to taste) and soaked with milk. It
makes for a warm and filling casserole. - Address books Finally, you can verify family, friends and acquaintances . . . and then
wonder about other names that pop up that were never on your radar. - Saved "special occasion" cards - We had a relative who never threw any card she ever
received out and she lived well into her nineties. It was an act of bravery on everyone's part
to go through every envelope and worth the trip down memory lane because we found her
missing birth certificate.
Jo Ann V. Glim is a 40 year veteran of freelance writing and author of the Book "Begotten With Love." To learn more:
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