And that we will call story number 39.....The stories of your ancestors lives bring the history into family history

My in-laws came to visit this past August.  And we had a great time visiting.  I think what I loved most was all the time we got to sit and visit and all the stories I got to here of my mother in law's life and those in the family that she shared.
As much as I love looking for new people to add to my family tree, my greatest happiness comes when I find a story, or a journal entry.  Something that makes the people in my family tree real, with trials, joys and everything that comes with life.

My mother in law has great stories to tell.  How her parents sacrificed and worked hard so she could go to a private singing school.  Her mother made many beautiful dresses for her.  How she was never going to get married but have a big music career.  She had her own radio show when she was young.

Here is a photo of her when she had her Carnegie Hall debut.  She talked of the letters she wrote to my father in-law when he was serving over seas, and told stories of being a young mother and the things that her kids did that drove her a little crazy.

She talked about her parents, and her in-laws.  My father in law said " Dear they don't want to hear your stories.  We can call that one story number 39...."  But you know I loved all those stories.  Every Sunday we used to go visit them and I would love hearing all the family stories.  

So anytime you can, sit down and listen to the stories, and make stories of your own.  Because each moment is precious, each story is about real people and makes family history books more rich and rewarding.

My mother in law has new stories to tell now.  She gets to tell everyone about her trip to Utah.  About the mountains that make you feel really small, about the beautiful house her children have that needs curtains, and about a great visit with lots of walking up hills.  These stories must be well up into the hundreds.  But I know she is telling them.  I miss our weekly visits.  But I have my own adventures and stories to make and in eternity we will sit and chat for a long time.  Laughing and reminiscing about how wonderful our lives were.

So remember as you go about doing your family history research to stop and listen to the stories of those who are a part of your life.  As I was writing this blog I received a letter from my mother about how she wished she knew more about her family.  How she did not know much about her grandparents because they passed away before she was born, and how she didn't know much about her parents lives before she was a child.  I think deep down we all long to know about those who came before us.  So as I search for those in my family tree I also spend a lot of time trying to find out their stories.  I hope someday my children will stop and listen and know that their parents and grandparents had lives with stories that are just as interesting as their own.

Related sites:

Bridges to the past 

Putting "Family" Back into Family History

The Last Leaf on the branch