Connecting the dots on my tree with solid lines! Researching my African American genealogy in Pasquotank and Camden counties of North Carolina.
I just finished the poster that I’m doing for my family reunion. I almost felt like it was a school project that I better get an ‘A’ on!!
Hopefully my family will appreciate this and enjoy it. Better yet, they’ll open up and hand over some stories and photos.
One question though..Should I add something like ‘Completed by A. Spence’?
So, I’ve been working on our family book lately and I have 1 page completed. My reunion is coming up in August and my family wants to see why I’ve been calling them for the past year. It really amazes me that some members of my family (the elder ones) know nothing. It seems as though when my great-grandmother was telling the stories of family, a lot weren’t listening.
I’ve also been trying to figure out how I should present my research so far. My cousin suggested I do a large family tree on poster board so people can have a visual. Others suggested the same.
When I started researching my family tree, it began more as a curious mission. ‘Let’s see how far I can go’. Then it turned into irritation. ‘Why don’t you know who your family is!’ Then it turned into pride. ‘I know we’ve been here since at least 1866!’ I know feel a sense of responsibility to make sure I research as many family members on my tree. Even the 4th cousin twice removed. They’re still family. I’ve called myself the family historian. I’m claiming that title now.
“We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors; to put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family their story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. Genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts; instead, it is breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as if it were in our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story, and so we do. In them we find ourselves.”-Author Unknown
It always amazes me those that are not interested in the family or their genealogy. I went to a family reunion this weekend for my fiancés family. I asked him “Why do they call it the Mahone-Knight?” He had NO CLUE. I was really saddened by it b/c I think it’s such a shame when WE don’t know who our family is.
Family is an extremely part of our lives and our families past lets us know the struggles they went thru. I hope I’m making my ancestors proud by making them have a voice in my future.
A continuation of the Wordless Wednesday.
If I had to guess, this was our 1979 family reunion. In this picture is my uncle when he was probably about 20 or so. Also, the thick little boy sitting on the end, that’s my cousin Jo-Jo (I think…lol)
This picture has my aunts (red shirt and the blue shirt) and a uncle (see guy with come over?)
The blurry person is my Grand Uncle Clement! He’s the one that was born about 3 months before my dad. That means my grandmother and great grandmother were pregnant at the same time.
And..the cute one in this picture is ME of course. That’s my cousin Michelle holding me.