Why Genealogy?
By baby_2u. Wednesday, 14. November 2007, 05:55:53
Over the past few years, I have had several people ask me. “Why genealogy” ?
And to be honest, I have given them many answers. At first it was because
I wanted to know my dad’s family, then it was wanting to know my mom’s family.
But I have discovered that the truth is, I want to know me.
Most people think that genealogy research cost a lot of money. I wont lie, it can
get expensive. But if you start with what you know…i.e. the information on your
birth certificate (or whoever’s). You can start out with the cost of writing paper,
Envelopes and stamps, and that’s about it. On a personal note, I have to mention
The folks in Washita County, Oklahoma at the county seat were the nicest people.
I corresponded with them for about a year, and they would send me things that I
didn’t even know to ask for,.
Let me start where I started and why I started there. I grew up thinking my step dad
was my DAD. When I was about 15 or 16 I found out the truth. At that time it didn’t
mean too much to me. In my late 30’s I wanted to know everything. The only information
I had about my birth dad was his name on my birth certificate. Until I started my research
I thought the only family I had was on my mom’s side of the family. So, his name, year and
place of birth, and that he was in the Army during WW11 was all I had, so that’s where I
Started. Sounds easy…lol, well some parts of Oklahoma didn’t have birth records before
1930. So, know what? Well, I knew that since my mom had remarried, I knew that
that made me my dad’s next of kin….big points for that one…..Because of that, I was
able to get copies of his military records and his SS application. On the SS application was his mothers name. I was also able to get his death certificate from California ( found his place of death in his military records). On his death certificate was the address we lived when he died. I got a phone book for that town
and wrote down the address of all the people with the same last name. Then I wrote a “very generic” letter .
There were about 15 of them, but I only mailed one….I can’t tell you why only one was mailed. Maybe
I didn’t want 15 “I don’t know’s”, anyway , everything snowballed from there. In one week I went
from having 4 cousins, 2 aunts, and an uncle ( all on my mom’s side of the family) to having over 98 cousins, 13 aunts and uncles.
All that from spending about $75.00 ( stamps, envelopes, writing paper and $10 to $20 for certified copies of records) . And to be honest with you , I did enjoy the hunt, and solving the puzzles of my family.
So don't worry about the cost....there are thousands of free sites on the internet and thousands of people you can turn to for help.
Give it a try...you may discover someone famous.
And to be honest, I have given them many answers. At first it was because
I wanted to know my dad’s family, then it was wanting to know my mom’s family.
But I have discovered that the truth is, I want to know me.
Most people think that genealogy research cost a lot of money. I wont lie, it can
get expensive. But if you start with what you know…i.e. the information on your
birth certificate (or whoever’s). You can start out with the cost of writing paper,
Envelopes and stamps, and that’s about it. On a personal note, I have to mention
The folks in Washita County, Oklahoma at the county seat were the nicest people.
I corresponded with them for about a year, and they would send me things that I
didn’t even know to ask for,.
Let me start where I started and why I started there. I grew up thinking my step dad
was my DAD. When I was about 15 or 16 I found out the truth. At that time it didn’t
mean too much to me. In my late 30’s I wanted to know everything. The only information
I had about my birth dad was his name on my birth certificate. Until I started my research
I thought the only family I had was on my mom’s side of the family. So, his name, year and
place of birth, and that he was in the Army during WW11 was all I had, so that’s where I
Started. Sounds easy…lol, well some parts of Oklahoma didn’t have birth records before
1930. So, know what? Well, I knew that since my mom had remarried, I knew that
that made me my dad’s next of kin….big points for that one…..Because of that, I was
able to get copies of his military records and his SS application. On the SS application was his mothers name. I was also able to get his death certificate from California ( found his place of death in his military records). On his death certificate was the address we lived when he died. I got a phone book for that town
and wrote down the address of all the people with the same last name. Then I wrote a “very generic” letter .
There were about 15 of them, but I only mailed one….I can’t tell you why only one was mailed. Maybe
I didn’t want 15 “I don’t know’s”, anyway , everything snowballed from there. In one week I went
from having 4 cousins, 2 aunts, and an uncle ( all on my mom’s side of the family) to having over 98 cousins, 13 aunts and uncles.
All that from spending about $75.00 ( stamps, envelopes, writing paper and $10 to $20 for certified copies of records) . And to be honest with you , I did enjoy the hunt, and solving the puzzles of my family.
So don't worry about the cost....there are thousands of free sites on the internet and thousands of people you can turn to for help.
Give it a try...you may discover someone famous.
