Trim the Tree and Fill in the Family Tree

The Holidays are here and it is time to gather together sharing gifts and fellowship. It is also the perfect time to begin or add to the information on your family tree. Why? Because everyone is there-- usually several generations of family members are present at once and Christmas also puts many people in the mood to talk about memory and family members from "Christmas' Past." Take a digital recorder with you to your holiday gatherings and ask a few questions. You never know what clues you may discover, clues that may set the direction of your genealogy searches for the new year.

It's also a time when estranged family members think about reconnecting. How many times has that call come in from a distant cousin wishing "holiday cheer" or wanting to "get back in touch." These are perfect opportunities to get more information on a part of the family tree that hasn't been updated in ages. We had the web version of one of these "getting back in touch calls" happen just a week ago when a descendant of uncle Jerry Williams found us on the web and made contact through our family email list. Her letter to the egroup began:

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Hello All:

I am happy to say that I am truly in awe that I "stumbled" upon the
site which traces my family history. I want to tell everyone hello
and that I look forward to speaking to you all and keeping in touch as
our family should. I am Kimberly Claxton (32 years old), daughter of
Calvin Claxton Sr. (82 years old)-Memphis, TN.

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The response was immediate as family members reached out to welcome her and to find out where she fell in the Descendants of Mandi Tree. Here's a sample:

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Hello Kimberly! Glad you connected! Keep in touch. SMILE!

Rachel D Washington

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This is so great...and demonstrates the improved power of modern technology to help us re-connect and stay connected. And to think, Kimberly's family is in/from Memphis - the geographic nucleus of the family and where I was born and raised. Until now, the only descendents of Uncle Jerry I knew were the Jones', from Memphis, too. This proof that we can no longer take for granted that traditional modes of communication are the best and most effective ways for us to keep in touch. We're too large a family for that.

Great to meet you Kimberly,

Your cousin Nicole

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"Who is your fathers immediate descendant? I take it you didn't make it
to St. Louis for the famiy reunion this summer."

Donna Washington descending from Dennis Williams

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I asked cousin Kimberly to take a look at her family's branch of the tree and tell us if it needed updating. She said that it was very outdated, as her siblings now had children, meaning that there were probably a dozen or more family members missing from their part of the tree. She has promised to get all the details as her family gathers for Christmas this year. We will all look forward to the additions to the family tree.

I hope we all are able to have a wonderful Holiday and to gain more wonderful details about our family's rich heritage. Remember all the Descendants of Mandi in your Christmas prayers. Peace on Earth and to you all.

Thanksgiving: The perfect time to fill out your Family Tree

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It's a holiday that's got a lot going for it. Not only is it a chance to spend time with loved ones and family, but it's got football, good food, and an opportunity for lots of good conversation. Because most families will have many different generations in one place on Thanksgiving Day, it's also the perfect opportunity to interview senior family members about your family's history. The oral history that is shared at holidays like this can be used to create or fill out your family tree.

Sharing Family stories is powerful for several reasons.

1) It begins the process of younger family members knowing where they came from.

2) It allows those of us who are genealogy buffs to uncover another story or two which may not have been mentioned at past gatherings, providing further clues in our search for family-related facts.

3) It is a chance to gather clues to lesser known but equally important side of family history: THE FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY. As we talk about family members who have passed away, often we will get little bits of information which are valuable in predicting health challenges for our living family members.

For example: a few years ago, in my family, someone recalled that one of my grandmother's had a baby sister who had died very young. Upon further questioning we found that she'd died of pneumonia. At that same time, a cousin was going through a period of Illness with her young child, which was eventually diagnosed as cystic fibrosis-- a rare disease among African Americans. But piecing together, the story of my grandmother's sister caused someone else to remember another earlier ancestor who lost three children to pneumonia. We realized that the cystic fibrosis gene had been showing up in our family every generation or two for many, many generations--the way that many other African American Families have the Sickle Cell trait.

A friend and former co-worker of mine named Karen Pallarito wrote an article which was picked up by FORBES, among others, that suggests that we all add family health history questions to our after-dinner conversation at Thanksgiving. Pallarito suggests that important information can be gleaned on family tendencies toward high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer and heart attack as well as chronic childhood diseases and birth defects.

She pointed out that U.S. health officials are urging us to ask questions: not just about relationships and life stories, but about causes of death and major health challenges. It could have a direct impact on our own health. Everybody, should begin tracing their medical roots this holiday season. Asking relatives to help fill in the blanks of your family medical history could be one of the most important things you do to predict your risk for developing such chronic conditions as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, as Pallarito reported.

This concept was covered a couple of years ago in Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/ but it can never be repeated enough.

So after dinner find out how your great-grand father died ...and while you are at it, be sure to get another civil rights story from your aunt, and another good war story from your favorite uncle.

See the entire story at the link below:

http://news.healingwell.com/index.php?p=news1&id=522236