History: It's a family thing

 My mom and I are big into Family History or Genealogy as most of the world calls it.  We love cemeteries and dark, dirty basements in court houses, ruining our eyes and getting sick looking at microfilm for hours.  All for just a tiny bit of information on some part of our family.  But we LOVE it!

After spending so many hours and even days on finding different parts of my family, I feel like I know each one of my ancestors.  I desperately want to meet them all and find out what kind of person each one was.  My mom takes care of her side of the family so I work on dad's side mostly.  I feel like I know them better.  But the funny thing is, part if it is the SAME family!  Yes, that's what I said.  My mother and father are 4th cousins.  They shared the same 4th great grandfather.  We never would have known this had we not been doing family history.  This grandfather built a home on the Perry/Washington County line in Southern Illinois and it still stands today along with the barn he built.  It was handed down thru a few generations and then was sold to another family.  My sister and I decided to be brave and drive up the driveway to take pictures.  We got caught...LOL!  The owner came out and was very nice and let us look around.  He showed us the papers on the house and there were the signatures of my great, greats.  That was awesome!




Built in the 1840's.  It used to have a summer kitchen just across from the back door.

This is the house that Arthur built.

5th great grandfather

I took my kids with me one day to check out some cemeteries.  My son was not excited at all.  "Mom can we take a book?"  "Yes, you can stay in the truck and read."  My daughter was ready to go.  We get to the first cemetery and both kids jump out of the truck and start looking at names on tombstones.  In about 5 minutes the Spirit of Elijah had done its thing.  My son says, "Mom, this is so much fun!"  Imagine that.  Books were forgotten.  We went to 3 cemeteries and looked for a 4th one. 

5th great grandmother

I have been searching for names since I was in high school and that was some 30 odd years ago.  I have found that I have Irish, German, Native American, and possibly African American blood.  If you have never searched for family members, I would recommend giving it a shot.  You will see what I mean.

One of their twelve children.

In our church (Latter-day Saints), we believe that those who have passed before us and never got to hear the gospel in this life, can still have that option.  Therefore we perform baptisms by proxy through the proper priesthood authority,  giving those ancestors a chance to accept the gospel into their lives.  We do this in our temples.

Find out where you came from.  You'd probably be amazed!

Ciao!