Hello Reader,
You must be interested in genealogy if you are reading my post. I believe anything can be included in your family genealogy because you are not only learning about the past but also documenting your current family history. Ancestry is not just about documents and dates; it’s about that you and your ancestors lived. It is our job as the “Family Genealogist” to capture all aspects of what we consider your family genealogy, and its treasures.
Family Treasures and Impact:
When you think of a family treasure, what comes to your mind? Heirlooms, valuable items or sentimental items? All are treasures, but the next question is how does a special family treasure impact your genealogy?
Personally, what gives me the most memories are items of a sentimental nature. For you, it could be totally different. Each treasure impacts you and your genealogy differently, but the main thing is that it gives more meaning to your unique family genealogy story.
No two family trees are alike as each of us have different memories to add to our ancestors in our trees. What I consider my most precious memories might not be my siblings’ favorite memories. So, being the designated family archivist, you want to get other family members – for example, my siblings – to record their favorite memories about their treasures. The more stories you capture, the more impact your tree will have for future generations.
The family members you want to make a priority are your elders and missing this opportunity is one regret I have. By the time I started my genealogy, my mom and grandparents were gone; I thought I had time with my dad, but again, that slipped by.
Types of Treasures:
It is funny. Our whole house is made up of family furniture, photos, pictures and knick-knacks. I can count on my fingers the furniture we actually purchased as so much is from our family’s past. You can say our roots go deep when it comes to things our family left behind.
One true heirloom that has gone on all nine moves around the U.S. is our pie safe that has been in my husband’s family for several generations. It is said that it went on a wagon train from Ohio to Oklahoma. The pie safe does not hold pies, but my mom’s china that my dad shipped over while stationed in Korea.
Now, as far as an item of value, that would have to be my mom’s diamond ring that my dad gave her for their 25th anniversary. They were married 41 years. Even though the ring has some value, again it is the sentiment that my dad gave this ring on their 25th wedding anniversary and my mom wore it always; when I wear it on special occasions, it is like my mom is with me sharing in the special occasion or it is giving me special power to handle something, like my dad’s funeral.
If I had to choose something out of all my treasures as my most precious sentimental treasure, it would have to be my mom’s crocheted afghan. My mom crocheted the blanket in the 1970’s and it is special because she made it out of love for the family with her own hands. I remember her crocheting it and seeing her rip out the stitches as she lost count and had to do it over. To this day I still use the afghan either to add extra warmth on my bed or to snuggle on the couch. It makes me feel like I am wrapped up in my mother’s loving arms.
Unfinished Business:
Sometimes, these same treasures can also help with unfinished business. I use the blanket to help me talk to my mom in my mind about something that I never got to say before she died.
If I could turn back time to the day of her death, I would have been near her death bed to tell her one last time that I loved her. As University of British Columbia did a study that shows hearing persists at the end of life and from this study it is believed that hearing is the last thing to go when you die. At the time, I lived about 6 hours away and, by the time the hospice told us, her death was imminent.
It took too much time to get things ready to go, kids had to come home from school, etc. I remember the last phone conversation I had with my mother, and we were talking about me being there. Even on her death bed, she was the one consoling me, telling me ‘it is okay, you have a family to take care of’. But it was not okay as I never got that closure I needed.
Now, when I die, will that crocheted blanket mean anything to my children? Probably not. They might just think it is a cool colored crocheted blanket, but they have no memory of their grandma, except what I have told them. Maybe the stories I tell them and include in my tree will give the blanket more meaning to them. At least it tells the story of my mother’s love and that is the best story about family genealogy.
How to add to Online Tree:
You might be wondering how to include stories, photos and videos in your online tree. Ancestry® and most other companies will let you add stories, videos or a photo that you can include on each of your ancestors’ pages in your tree. The video could be a link to your account on YouTube or Facebook, for example. There is a lot to think about with how to preserve the actual stories, photos and videos of your work, of course.
Here are some links to previous articles about how to add videos, stories and photos to your Ancestry tree:
Genealogy:
Remember, Genealogy is not just about documenting your lineage and proving you belong to, for example, the Mayflower Society; it is writing a story about your family. You decide what should be included in your family history. For me, family treasures have a special place in my tree. How about you?
If You:
- Have genealogy question/mystery, please privately email me by clicking this contact link: https://www.nancydrugenealogy.com/contact-2/
- Would like to read more articles about genealogy, please visit my homepage: https://www.nancydrugenealogy.com/.
- Would like to explore genealogy please visit FamilySearch to start your tree for free.
Happy Sleuthing,
