The majority of the time, all we know about our ancestors is major events – birth, marriage and death. (Sometimes we don’t know that.) But that’s pretty boring, isn’t it? It’s exciting at the time of discovery, but the thrill is gone just about as soon as you enter it into your database or notebook. Pictures and personal stories can make a family history come alive. They make the people real. Your second great uncle goes from being plain ol’ John Smith to tall, handsome, John Smith who built a road in the wilderness. A man who fathered 15 children by three wives, dying at the age of 97 in a bar brawl, leaving a 34 year old widow. Oo! Now that’s interesting!
So there you sit. Eager to include stories like this, but how in the world can you find out information like this? The number of children and wives and ages of wives are easy enough to see. You’d just need to write a paragraph about it to get the attention to the reader. But where would you find the information about how he died and that he built a road?
Try to find local newspapers of the dates you know, such as death dates. Even if someone died quietly in their sleep, an obituary is more interesting than simply a date. If there was a barroom brawl, there would probably be an account of it in the paper and perhaps there was a trial. Check the court records. Look for printed, local histories or even college thesis’ that the student donated to the library. Get off your shy horse and talk to relatives and old, family friends. When you do, ask them if they remember Uncle John. Asking them what they know about the family will draw blanks. Asking them about a specific person will start a deluge of memories.
Ask those same family members and friends if they have any old pictures. Pictures bring the people to life better than anything. Most of us, even if we don’t have time to read, will certainly look at the pictures. How many people do you know who do not like to look at old pictures? Can you pass a box of them at an antique store without looking or at least wanting to look? If your family member has pictures, copy them right then. Don’t even ask to take them home with you. If you need to, both of you make a trip to a store who does copies while you wait, but you can take pictures of the pictures with a camera, they just won’t be as good.
Another source of pictures and family information is the message boards at RootsWeb, Ancestry, genealogy.com’s GenForum, and Yahoo Groups. If you’re lucky, you can meet a distant cousin who has pictures and stories. I know I have some great pictures of ancestors whose direct descendants I’ve never met. I’d love to share with them and have posted on the message boards. Occasionally one of them wanders by and we learn more about each other’s families. If I didn’t put that feeler out, they might never find me.
Wrap up:
Check local newspapers and histories.
Talk to relatives and old, family friends.
Participate in internet message boards