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Genealogy Blog

October 25, 2007

Family History

Our family history, when researching genealogy it is really about history - our family history. But how do we know those family history stories are true? When is family history truth or fiction?

El Monte Laundry

                Last night my mom received a phone call from an elderly relative, and they began discussing my researching of our family history.  This relative went on to tell my mother all sorts of information, that according to mom, was more fantasy than fact.  Mom, who is just a few years younger than this person, remembered an entire different scenario.
                Some twenty years ago, when I was working on history articles for the small mountain community of Wrightwood California, I encountered the same situation.  I was working closely with the president of the local historical society, who insisted that much of the popular local history was incorrect. When I sought advise from San Bernardino historians on this issue, I was told that the story most often told, was the one usually used…..therefore the old adage that if you tell something enough, it becomes true…is true!
                As family historians we need to gather information from as many sources as possible, and just like making that family quilt, we can patch together the bits and pieces to create an overall family story.  If several aunts and uncles remember the same story, chances are you are close to the truth.  The exact truth? I don’t believe there is such a thing.
                It is not uncommon for someone to take ownership of an interesting tale, and suddenly cast themselves as the center character, when in truth it actually happened to their cousin, sibling or brother’s barber.  I’ve seen people I know do this…people who haven’t the excuse of being elderly.  Sometimes it is just easier to tell an interesting story with you as the center figure, rather than taking the time to explain that the person this really happened to was the second cousin of the brother of the gardener of your sister’s next door neighbor.  And after retelling the story a few times…..it becomes true!

Above photo: El Monte Laundry, El Monte California.
The George & Hilda Glandon Family.

- BAJH

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