When I first began my efforts to trace my ancestors, I started by making contact with the oldest living relatives. I had no idea the treasures I would see in this effort. Of course, all of this was before the electronic age had really hit its stride (no cell phones with camera; no hand scanners). I wanted to know about their lives and what they knew about the lives of their parents and grandparents. Some were happy to assist, and others weren’t as enthusiastic.
I took a tape recorder with me to record our conversations to avoid forgetting details. Trust me you’ll find this the best method. It’s so easy to get back home and wonder did Aunty say the oldest child was John or Hugh? Was Grandma born in North or South Carolina? The recording means you can listen to the conversation all over again and that you can transcribe it to share with others and when they are no longer with you, you’ll have the pleasure of listening to their stories.
The best part of these visits was when the photo albums were pulled out. It was there that I saw some of my ancestors for the very first time. Hearing them talked about is one thing but seeing what they looked like when they were alive is another. Most of my relatives were willing for me to have copies made of various pictures and return the originals, so Walgreens and others benefited from my efforts depending upon the number of pictures I needed copied.
Then there was the thrill of seeing my grandmother’s family Bible. That’s where I found that she was the mother of nine children. That was two more than her living children knew about. She had listed their names and birthdates in three different places. This is a valuable place to find out about births, marriages, deaths and if someone in your family has a family Bible, then I hope they will let you view it and so you can pull out your phone to copy the pertinent pages.
Even more exciting was when they pulled out mementos that had been passed down from generation to generation and you could hold them or touch them, it made them come to life. Holding a white oak basket that your great great-uncle crafted and realizing how much work and time he put into making it is astounding. The cast iron kettle that great great grandma made stew for her family on a wood stove helps you picture what their life was like.
Reading letters that Grandma received from her sister who lived hundreds of miles away offers a window into their lives and how the distance affected them. Sometimes they shared news about other relatives. Occasionally, they shared something that was in the local newspaper about their participation in an organization or an achievement they accomplished.
Stories, letters, news. These are all treasures you can find when you begin looking for your ancestors. And some of our ancestors really did walk five miles to a one room schoolhouse, sometimes in snow or bad weather. They did travel by wagon to get from place to place. All these factors go into making up your family tree.
Not everything you discover will be good. I found a distant relative who was imprisoned because he stole a horse. He died there. There were other instances where someone did something illegal and was tried and spent time in prison. Whether your ancestors are circuit riding preachers, farmers, ditch diggers, bankers, politicians or something less respectable, just remember that families are comprised of a variety of people both good and bad.
The Society has decided to publish a second edition of the History of Tate County and we want to include your family. You may receive something in the mail or if you know one of our members, they may give you a handout with details so that you can begin compiling your submission. If you’d like to know if your family was included in the first edition, you can stop by the library to check (we’ll be happy to give you a copy of what was submitted), so that you can update the data. If your family wasn’t included, then we want your family history in this edition.
If you are uncertain what information should be included, then please take the time to visit and look at the first edition. It covers not only families, but churches, clubs, military, schools, businesses, government, and other data. It is up to you to decide what information you would like to submit. Our members can help you put the information together and then you will give permission for its inclusion in this edition. This will be a time-consuming effort and we don’t expect it to be ready for publication for at least a year. I will post the deadline date for submissions in a future article. We hope that you will want to include your family in this edition.
Our shelves are filled with material that may hold a story on one of your ancestors and we invite you to visit the library located in the Crockett Building, 107 Court Street (second floor), to investigate. We are 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.). You may contact us at tatehistory@hotmail.com or call 662-562-0390 and leave a message on voice mail with brief details of your request and we will answer. You can now find us on Facebook.
