Family History is the Stories of our Families

I have no one story that means a lot to me. I have many. Each story adds on to another story. My children’s ancestors were not famous. They did not do super remarkable things that made the history books. We have no Mayflower ancestors. Likely no Jamestown either. Our families came later to the United States, some in the late 1600 and 1700s, many in the 1800s, and a few in the 1900s. Some came from Britain, some from German States, and a few from Ireland and Sweden. They settled in the South, Midwest, and the West.

We do not know their reasons, except those who came to the US from Sweden, as they came later and left a few stories. But most likely came for the same reasons other families came: opportunity, for something that might be better than where they were, whether for better jobs or for land they could own. Most of our ancestors were farmers. Later comers had factory jobs and trade skills such as blacksmith, machinist, electrician, or tailor. Some were entrepreneurs, owning a pool hall, saloon, or electric supplies.  

These were simple people in the sense that they married, raised a family, worked their jobs, and had a household. Individually, their experience may have differed but in the end, they were part of the American dream, to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Many times, when people learn I conduct genealogy research, their first question to me is “how far back have you gotten?” I do not like this question. One, it is not easy to answer. Each line has its own challenges and who can remember which line that I have gone back further than another? Instead of asking how far back have you gone, as if it is a race, instead the question should be, what interesting thing have you found about your family? What stories can you tell?

I would rather know that I researched each generation to its fullest and that I have told their stories, before concentrating on getting back further. Let us make sure what we have found is truthful and that the research and stories of their lives have been told. The further back one goes, the harder it is to tell the stories because there are fewer records, especially for poorer folks who did not own land and did not leave wills or have their property probated.

Telling the story does not just involve reciting the facts you have found in documents, but digging deeper into the history, geography, and social customs of the area, to make the story richer. Our families are not two-dimensional people with just facts. We need to place them in the time and place in which they lived. They interacted with others in the community, so FAN (friends, family, and neighbors) research is necessary, too. They bought items from stores, attended church and other community activities, their children attended school, shared in the building of barns or harvesting crops. The womenfolk canned, sewed, and cared for the sick together.

So, all the stories of my families mean something to me. All are important to tell. Even the ones that make us sad or angry. These are real stories of real people who experienced the same feelings we have today. Tell those stories, all of them.

#52Ancestors: Week 3: What This Story Means to Me

This is my ninth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.

I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

Copyright © 2011-2026 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.