Ancestry

by Frank Roche on March 22, 2009

This week I got interested in my ancestry. I don’t know why — maybe it’s the approach of being 50. Maybe it’s because of a phone call I got this week that I didn’t want to get. Maybe it’s nostalgia.

I’m not sure why, but I signed up on Ancestry.com. I entered information I know about my parents and what little I know about my grandparents. From there, the information gets foggy.

I know that ancestry is an obsession of the aged. I’m getting there. I wonder about those who came before me. And now I’m at an age where most of my worry is for my guys and for their future.

At least they’ll have a good record of me. I don’t have a single letter written by my parents or grandparents. My guys will have the thousands of blog entries that I’ve made over the past few years. I’m not sure if it’s that’s better that having nothing and thinking that their predecessors wrote elegant letters.

  • http://paxromano.blogspot.com/ PaxRomano

    Yes, our blogs, and all of the other various cyber foot prints we've left upon the net will shape interesting profiles of those of us in the future…thank goodness the net was not around in the 70's – could you imagine the pictures that might be floating around?!?!

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Pac, thank goodness there won't be any online pictures of me in quiana shirts and Earth shoes. I'm glad it started recently. ;-)

  • http://Www.wedsoff.com Sarcasmom

    I often wonder what our kids/ grandkids will think about out chronicling their every move for the masses. Good luck in your search. I wish I had talked to my parents more and asked more about their lives.

  • http://aroomsomewhere.blogspot.com Merci

    Hope you find some interesting things! For me, just seeing the census records was startling. My Mom had talked about these folks, and then I saw their names – they were real!

    • Frank

      Merci, it was because of your post that I checked out Ancestry. Seems pretty cool. I dropped $30 for a monthly subscription. I’ll se where it goes.

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    I wish I had asked more, too. At least for my guys I write it all down now. I'll find out years from now what they think about it.

  • http://nonbreakingspace.com/ howard

    You're nowhere near my dad's age, Frank, but this has been a fascination of his as well. I've thought about getting into it myself, since the stuff he finds always interests me as well.

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Howard, I have to say it's addicting. I have been able to go back 5 generations in some instances…it's really cool. Fascinating.

  • http://jesswedeharts.blogspot.com/ Jess

    Recently, I have been thinking about doing a little ancestral research. The internet is such a fantastic tool! Have you discovered anything unexpected beyond the fog?

    I am back after a short break from blogging, and hope that you will relink or reader me when you find the time.
    Cheers!

    xx
    Jess
    http://jesswedeharts.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.jchtv.com iconjohn

    My late aunt gave me a photo book of all my Italian relatives on my mothers side. Many black and white photos from 1900-1950 and from Italy. Sad but I should have recorded the chat I had with my great aunt on who everyone was before she got senile. Will look into ancestor.com

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Wouldn't that be great to have some video of old relatives? Mine are all
    gone now, and I'm just at that age where I care more about it. Super cool
    that you have pix…I'm without those..but Acestry is giving me a lot of
    info.

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