My husband and I love to travel and if the opportunity presents itself, I like to research family ties along the way. If you've read "Begotten With Love," you already know I didn't learn my true identity until I was thirty-five years old. That was the beginning of a thirty year hunt that took us coast-to-coast and border-to-border.
In the beginning, we muddled our way through the research part of the trip and just looked at it as an adventure, which it was. But as we began to find more and more of the puzzle pieces, it was necessary to organize and make the most of the time we had on the road. Following are some pointers we learned the hard way:
PRE-PLANNING - Many Places that House Records are Closed on Weekends . . . Call Ahead
1. Read the history of the town or city during the time period your ancestors called it home before you visit. It may help clarify the choices they made. Why'd they settle there? Were they active in the community? Often times, news articles from years-gone-bye make finding birth and death notices, wedding announcements, and articles about special events easy to access.
2. Contact the sextant of the local cemetery before the trip. They may be able to provide burial location records. Relatives, especially in older cemeteries, may be buried in a cemetery's family plot, on a family farm, or in church yards.
Prior to our trip to Alabama, I found an article about the death of my great-grandparents' infant daughter in their local newspaper that included this sweet poem:
Shed not for her the bitter tear
Nor give the heart to vain regret,
'Tis but the casket that lies there
The gem that filled it sparkles yet.
Because this occurred in the late 1800s and the engraving on the baby's headstone was so worn, if we had not taken time to research before we left, we would have returned home with more questions than answers.
There is more to this story. Right after I finished writing this post, it nagged me that I did not know who wrote this beautiful poem. So, I googled it. It turns out it's the epitaph for Myra Belle Shirley who is buried in a long forgotten grave in Oklahoma. The epitaph was penned by her daughter, Pearl. Myra was an educated woman and an accomplished pianist who wore velvet skirts and plumed hats. She was also a notorious American outlaw and horse thief. You may recognize her, if I told you her name was "Belle Starr."
It seems the obituary journalist lifted the poem from a horse thief. Historical irony.
3. Contact the local historical society, the genealogical society, and the library. If they know you're coming, they may be able to provide you with documents or stories you never expected.
ON LOCATION - Bring Plenty of Batteries (and an extra charger) for the Camera
4. There is nothing more disheartening than having equipment failure on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. It's well worth it to spend the extra money for another battery charger and an extra battery than to try to commit Hallmark moments to memory.
5. Bring duplicate copies of genealogy pages as well as blank pages. It makes it so much easier to scribble field notes on a copy and later transfer it to your records. I also like to use index cards (stored in a small box) to keep contact information, new leads, and miscellaneous information.
6. Talk to everyone! Having lunch in a charming, old building? Ask about it's history. Tell the owner why you're in town. You never know where the next gem of information will come.
Whatever you do, however you plan, take time to enjoy the moment. There is such a strong, familial bond in walking the streets that your ancestors called home. Look toward the horizon and know a generation past gazed at the same landscape . . . and wondered about you.
I wish you a safe and memorable journey.
