Genealogy Blog
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?
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
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:
The George & Hilda Glandon Family.
- BAJH
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