On Genealogy

I know, I know. The word "genealogy" brings forth images of little old ladies with too much time on their hands. There are a lot of those, sure. I've hung out with them at the genealogical society. They're nice. They bring cookies to the meetings. Still, the thing about genealogy research is that it reminds you all the time that those little old ladies aren't just who they appear to be on the outside. They were once infants in long christening gowns, children who swung from trees, young adults who went to dances, young mothers who cradled babies... None of us are just who we appear to be on the outside.

During the summer between 4th and 5th grade, I decided to try to earn as many Girl Scout badges as possible. By the fall, my green sash was covered in the round, embroidered patches, but one in particular left a lasting impression. I believe it might have been “My Heritage,” if that was in use in the late 1980’s.

The only task I remember was a simple one: create a family tree, as far back as you can go. I knew my grandparents’ names, as three of the four had been alive when I was born. Two of my great-grandmothers (one my grandpa’s stepmother) were also still living, though I’d never thought to ask Great-Grandma Peterson much about her ancestry. I knew only that we were Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish, like most of the people we knew in South Dakota

I asked my parents for their grandparents’ names. Each of them could name them, but my dad’s insistence that his grandmother was called Josephine Johanson made my mom and me laugh.

To learn more, they took me to visit my paternal grandmother and her sister, Dolly, who still lived in the town where my dad and all his cousins had grown up. I drew my first pedigree chart on lined notebook paper as they spoke of my dad’s family—their own parents and grandparents. I was fascinated by the idea that my cantankerous grandmother had once been someone’s little granddaughter. (And as Grandma explained, my great-grandmother was Josephine, but my great-great grandmother was the Johanson.)

A few years later, in junior high, I discovered my two heroes of genealogy. The first was Emily Anne Croom, who wrote a beginner’s guide called Unpuzzling Your Past. The second was Alex Haley, whose epic family history, Roots, taught Americans that their own personal history mattered.

I’ve been interested ever since, though there never seemed to be enough time or money. Now, as I settle into my 30’s, I’m ready to begin again. With this blog, I hope to organize my efforts and connect with other researchers in the “genea-blogger” world.