Beginning this month (July) we will once again be open on Thursdays and Fridays. In the last few weeks, we worked hard to prepare the library for reopening. We went through many things that had accumulated and had just been delayed for one reason or another. I personally found several things that brought to mind the reasons for why we research and the benefits that can come from it.
Not only do you document the history of your family, but you use some of those skills that when you eight or nine you thought were wasting your time. One was geography. Can you remember thinking ‘why do I need geography?’. Well, in tracing your family you will become acquainted with a lot of geography. You will learn about communities and counties in your state and others. You will learn about migration paths that led your ancestors west to Tate County and some even as far as the Pacific Ocean.
Then there’s math. Sure. You have to be able to calculate things like ages, which census they would appear on, the period they lived in an area and other data that pops up in your search of an ancestor.
Then there’s grammar. Well, if you read these articles, you’ll note that I can make grammatical mistakes. As I once told someone who was interviewing me for a job, ‘If you’re looking for perfect, you’d probably do well to keep the ad in the paper. I don’t claim to be perfect.’ Grammar will be needed by those who want to write a history of their family. And of course, with grammar you will incur spelling. Fortunately, most of us work on computers that have spell check. Sometimes technology is a wonderful thing. Sometimes.
And the most important is history. After all, researching your family tree is learning the history of their journey. You’ll learn who they were, where they came from, how they arrived in Tate County, what they did with their lives from birth to death, the people they are connected to, important events in their lives and so much more.
No matter which subject you use to find your ancestors, be assured there isn’t a pop quiz anywhere during the search. In fact, we’ll do what we can to give you the answers to the questions you’re trying to answer.
A word to all you teachers whether you teach in a public, private or home school, Tracing Your Roots can be a fun field trip for your classes. And we’d be happy to accommodate you now that we’ve reopened. We could even schedule a visit on a day other than our normal library hours. If you’d be interested in visiting, just contact us by phone and leave a voice mail with contact information or send your request to our email address.
Even if you were an average student like me, you can still put your basic education skills to work learning about your family, and we’re happy to guide you. If you want to Trace Your Roots in Tate County, we invite you to visit the library located in the Crockett Building, 107 Court Street. We are again open on THURSDAY and FRIDAY (except prior to a holiday) from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (please call if you’ll arrive after 3 p.m.).
Anyone who wishes to help preserve the history of Tate County and its citizens can become a member of TCG&HS. Membership is $15.00 a year for an individual and $18.00 for a family. An application can be obtained on the website or at the library on Friday.
You may contact us at tatehistory@hotmail.com or call 662-562-0390 and leave a message on voice mail.
