Dick Eastman recently posted a thought-provoking piece on why people devote large portions of their lives to recording their family histories. Eastman correctly asserted that genealogy demands time and attention to detail. It can be expensive and require sacrifice to ensure you’re as accurate as possible. Meanwhile, the rest of our families sit bewildered as to why we would find seemingly mundane ancestors and events so fascinating.
In his post, Eastman postulated on the different motivations of amateur genealogists and identified a dichotomy in the endeavor between family historians and simple name gatherers. Name gatherers fill out pedigree charts with names and dates and little more. Family historians go much deeper, looking for the back stories and nuances that give our families character. The metaphor I’ve always used is one of human anatomy: your names and dates compose the skeleton of your family tree. But skeletons aren’t that interesting to look at. The pictures, biographical information, and stories add flesh to that skeleton and turn it into something truly attractive.
I have no issues with the name gatherer: at least, he’s taking the time to document that which might otherwise be lost. I started as a name gatherer, though I’ve since fallen into the deep end of amateur genealogy. Have you taken the genealogical red pill yet? If not, here are a few reasons why you should consider the hobby:
If not you, who?
I’m quite certain you and your family, living and dead, have achieved noteworthy accomplishments. These accomplishments may have been recorded in random newspapers, trophy cases, or elsewhere but they’ll never be collected in one compendium unless someone takes the time to do so. Who’s going to do that? It’s time to get off the bench and get into the game!
The ol’ Kid’s Family Report
If you have children, it’s almost a certainty that one day they’ll approach you with a school assignment to write about their family history. Imagine the hero you’ll be if you can, within minutes, generate a report for your child detailing the last five or six generations of your family.
Know your medical history
Is there a history of some particular illness in your family? That knowledge might help you adjust habits in your life to avoid participating in that history. You might help your children in that regard, as well. Your family’s medical history is a detail you can uncover as a family historian. Related to my earlier point, my daughter took an anatomy class this year in which one of her assignments was to produce a report of her family’s medical history. Because I had been documenting this information for years, I was able to quickly generate a report for her going back four or five generations of the different medical conditions endured by our ancestors.
Help you better understand your own strengths and weaknesses
Were your ancestors inventive and entrepreneurial? Were they consistent and hard working? Did they have a tendency to take risks or did they live more on the safe side? Understanding the general dispositions of your ancestors might help you feel more confident to start that new business or take on a rather risky task–or maybe just play it safe.
Write the history
If you write your family’s history, you control the narrative. If you have particular heroes in your family, you can choose to emphasize their achievements. You have the power to influence future generations. As Uncle Ben once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Obviously, honesty and fairness are critical to incorporate in your narrative. This is your opportunity to paint an appropriate picture of your family for future generations.
Meet heretofore unknown family members
Documenting your family tree will reveal family members you never knew you had–perhaps even in your own town. These people are sure to provide a perspective on your ancestors you may be unaware of.
Connect with a community of creative and hard-working genealogists
My fellow amateur genealogists always seem to surprise me with the creative and tech-savvy ways they solve their genealogical mysteries. Here I am–a professional technologist–and some retired grandmother is showing me a Google search technique I’ve never seen before or demonstrating a use of certain genealogical software I didn’t know existed. Genealogy really does require tenacity, energy, and an attention to detail that is commonplace in this community. It can be refreshing to brush elbows with such people.
Inject your own creativity into your work
Every family historian must be a name gatherer first. The family historian, though, goes well beyond name gathering to truly “flesh out” his tree. Here, I think, is a great opportunity for fun and creativity. For example, I video tape virtually every family event I attend, especially reunions, and will occasionally edit reunion video together for fun family artifacts. I’ve interviewed several family members and both recorded and transcribed those interviews. I try to record interesting details like each member’s job histories and even their childhood heroes. Here is a chance to be creative and really represent your relatives in interesting and unconventional ways.
Channel your inner data nerd
This one may not be for everyone, but if you have data nerdist tendencies, what better data to explore than that of your own family? Analyze family migrations or life expectancy or occupation choices. Your family data is probably completely untapped and filled with interesting trends and outliers.
Time is fleeting
I was lucky enough to catch the genealogy bug while still in college. For the next several years, I would spend one week every summer at my grandfather’s farm, computer in front of me, Grandpa to one side, keying in hundreds of handwritten pedigree charts he had created and maintained for the last several decades. I was truly a name gatherer at that point. My grandfather’s efforts saved me countless hours of research. He helped me answer questions that might have forever gone unanswered. Because I started as early as I did, I was able to interview three of my grandparents and several great aunts and uncles and collect information that may have been lost forever. At the very least, for time sake, start your name gathering today!
If you decide you want to get started, make sure to check out Dick Eastman’s excellent “getting started” guide.
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