Genealogy: Rooting in the past can help explain the present

When I was bitten by the genealogy bug during my 30s, family and friends considered my hobby rather eccentric. They associated pedigree charts with the geriatric set. But even my elderly relatives wondered what compelled me to troll through musty documents and tramp through weed-choked cemeteries to learn about people I never knew.

My grandmother, quickly growing bored with being grilled about her side of the family tree, strongly suggested that I worry more about the living than the dead. Grandma, now 95, always did have a way with words.

Thanks to the wonders of technology and the magic of the Internet, genealogy has become one of the country's most popular pastimes for individuals of all ages. Yet I'm asked many times what motivates me to spend hours delving into the past.

The short answer is that genealogy is challenging, fun and it stimulates my brain. I like solving mysteries. Creating a family tree is akin to assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle without knowing exactly what the finished design looks like and with some of the key pieces missing. But there's a more intrinsic reason. I believe the only way for me to really know myself is to gain an understanding of those who came before me. Long before DNA became part of our vernacular, I instinctively knew that my connection to my ancestors went beyond history and happenstance and that my hereditary ties were far more complex than eye color or skin tone or medical conditions.

I'm no geneticist. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that personality traits, innate talents, occupations and even avocations repeatedly surface through the generations. Naturally, some similarities are attributable to environmental conditions. If daddy farmed or worked on the railroad, chances are his sons followed in his footsteps.

But recent advances in DNA research have shown that our physical links to our ancestors are stronger than anyone ever imagined. In addition, decisions made by our ancestors affect our lives today. Take religious affiliations, for example. Some date back centuries. Others might be the direct result of a marriage 50 years ago between people of different faiths. Our educational, financial and social status, to some degree, reflects choices made by ordinary folks merely going about the business of conducting their lives the best way they knew how.

It's the journey, not the destination, that attracts. Since I believe we are products of our past, I'm not particularly impressed when people tell me they have amassed 5,000 names on their family tree.

First I question the documentation and the motives. I think the focus should be on people, not numbers. What's the point of merely tallying names?

While it isn't feasible to write a biography for virtually every leaf on our tree, conscientious genealogists at least strive to unearth a few personal details about ancestors in their direct lines. It's these personal touches that give a written family history its value and make it memorable.

When we glean from estate records that grandma left to her granddaughter a spinning wheel, saddle and feathers she was saving to make a bed, we get a glimpse of the older woman's life and the things she valued.

Eva Schneider Murray's death on Oct. 20, 1885 at age 78 is a matter of public record. But it's knowing that she died as a result of being kicked by a cow she was milking that brings the past to life and gives me insight into her independent personality.

As your research develops, it's likely you'll eventually discover some tawdry tales about one ancestor or another. When you do, keep this in mind: We're recorders of history, not judges.

-- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns. Sorry, she can't take phone calls, but you can write to her c/o Floridian, the St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@yahoo.com. You can read her column online at www.sptimes.com.

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