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Imagine that you really DID have an eccentric rich old uncle that offered you a million U.S. dollars (or an equal value in your country’s currency) to do your own personal family history research. Hey, stranger things have happened in this world. Please think about it for a minute before you read on.
You would hire someone to do it… is that what you are thinking?
No, that’s the one of the catches to the deal says your uncle, "YOU have to do the research without hiring someone to do it for you. And, you have to keep it quiet so that other family members or friends don’t have any motive to help you any more excitedly than they normally would."
Boy - that uncle drives a hard bargain. But he IS good for the money.
So… what are the steps you would take? Where do you go from here?
Use your imagination and be honest with yourself… It would be a safe bet to say that you would become known as "Mr./Mrs./Ms. Genealogy" very quickly. You would probably be motivated enough to develop a bounty hunter’s attitude towards your research.
- You would become known on a first name basis at your local libraries and Family History Center. But despite your insistence, they will not allow you to set up a cot to sleep overnight in the building.
- You and your spouse have a slight falling out when you move the new giant microfilm reader into your bedroom and shout out a loud "Whoo-Hoo" every time you find an ancestor at 3:00 a.m. in the morning.
- Your extended family members are delighted by your enthusiasm for family history and have become more helpful than ever. However, they drew the line when you had the copy machine delivered to their home, had half the boxes from their attic on the kitchen table, and put up the "Shhh - Genealogy Researcher at Work" sign.
But seriously, my question for you is this: What would you do differently than you are doing now? Because your approach to genealogy research would certainly change.The most important change would be in your mind. A change of attitude, along with a firmer resolve to just go out and do it (take action).
Depending on who you ask, your family history is worth much MORE than a million dollars. In reality, it is priceless. If you are reading this article, you are one of the few in your family that has a real love and interest in your family’s history and genealogy research.
Good for you! Because of your research efforts, your name will be revered over the years in your family. What you do now will spark the interests and touch the hearts of future generations (if you preserve your work within your family).
Sure, there are things to learn, frustrations, and brick walls. But it is not impossible and can be lots of fun - and a very satisfying endeavor.
I encourage you to take the time from your busy life to become a "history student." A student of the places where your ancestors came from. What country, state, township did they come from? What was happening in those areas during the known span of time that they dwelt there?
I also encourage you to take the time and look at the "Research Outlines" from the Family History Library (that I have mentioned time and time again in the Treasure Maps Genealogy newsletter) about your states or countries of interest. There you will find many facts, dates, and shortcuts that will help you put it all together.
And finally, inquire as much as you possibly can with other family members. The clock is ticking and valuable word of mouth history and clues to your research are fading away. Make the call, write the letter - and doors will start to open for you.
Remember, the more you know, and the more clues that you have - the more valuable the Internet will become to your personal research.
I love this question. It’s really got me thinking especially about it being a change of attitude. I don’t have a rich uncle or a million dollars but for me, researching my family tree has no price tag. It’s priceless.
One of my greatest regrets is that I realized too late how much my parents knew about our extended family … and how little I knew. But by then it was too late.
I have very little knowledge of our extended family, and nor does my brother. I wish we’d had the foresight to think about this years ago.
Your article’s terrific, and I hope it acts as a spur to others to get as much info about their families while they can.
According to an uncle of mine, our family name (Angel) dates back to Middle English. Seems that I either had an ancestor who looked angelic or, possibly, played an angel in a religious pageant. I should talk with him a little more, although I suspect there’s no million dollars waiting there for me!
Ah, it’s interesting to read these comments from those who failed to ask.
In my case, the shoe’s on the other foot … I’m a grandmother, rather than an uncle, and sadly I have nothing approaching a million dollars. But I do have a treasure trove of family history waiting to be shared with my grandchildren.
I hope they ask fairly soon, or I’ll be forced to inflict it on them uninvited!
That was a nice article; thank you for sharing it.
Judy Online:
Your grandchildren may be more interested in your family history than you think! I’m in my early twenties, and just discovered my passion for genealogy. I’ve talked to both my grandmothers about their family histories (my grandfathers have passed), but they remember very little. They couldn’t even tell me their granparents’ names!
I bet if you bring up the subject you’ll find at least one interested listener.
Oh and to answer the question:
I would ask for a down-payment on the million dollars, and use it to travel to places my ancestors lived! They come from all over, so it would be quite expensive: Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, and the U.S.
My grandfather started this about 10 years ago. He’s got an entire room full of our family’s past and history. Anytime we visit I make sure to bring my kids into his study to teach them about our family. It’s a priceless lesson everytime.
According to an uncle of mine, our family name (Angel) dates back to Middle English. Seems that I either had an ancestor who looked angelic or, possibly, played an angel in a religious pageant. I should talk with him a little more, although I suspect there’s no million dollars waiting there for me
Because of the huge sum of money I will do my best to achieve my goal the soonest possible time and according to the guidelines stated. With the enormous help online and the Family History Library, my work will be in a jiffy and yes, my effort was not only fulfilling because of the money reward but knowing my family tree is a great gift for keeps.
I am one of the youngest members of my familt and I seem to be the only one who has any interest in tracing our family ancestry. I have one uncle who remember quite a bit about what our grandparents told him.