These past 2-3 weeks have been exhilarating! I have been so fortunate to have been able to find great information on my ancestors and related family that I have just been walking around in a constant state of excitement. I have been so preoccupied in the hunt, I haven’t even taken the time for reflection that I intended this blog to bear. I don’t expect that I will post here more than weekly, or as I make great finds but we will see what happens. If I find that I am just not blogging like I think I should, then I will re-evaluate.
For now, here have been the highlights of my research:
1. I have received approximately 20 certificates (birth and/or death) on various family members from writing to the county-specific register of deeds offices. I have requests out for at least 30 more and plan to write more requests this week for another 15 or so. Fortunately, the counties that my family are from have cheap fees for uncertified copies – the average price is twenty-five cents.
2. Using census records after I joined Ancestry I was able to find ancestors another 2-3 generations back on some of my lines. The ancestor tree for my maternal grandmother, for example, is complete to her great-grandparents and it is one of her lines that I have my earliest ancestor – Prince Walker born in 1812. I can only surmise that Prince was a slave but have not yet done any research to this end.
3. I have “met” and reconnected with family members. As a result, it is likely that I will make my best efforts from now on to attend my family reunions. I have two coming up this summer that I hope to be able to go to. Doing so will be an incredible opportunity to connect and hear family stories.
There has been so much more I have done, but I have to go to bed for now! Doing my family history is making me feel so connected to my past – it is a wonderful, wonderful thing. I am learning so much and truly appreciate being able to have this knowledge that I can now share with my own family.