Without the internet

[Digit]

I began my genealogy quest back in 1976 through a Latter Days Saints Library. They were helpful of course, but my breakthrough came via the internet.
I found people related to me who gave me copies of photos of my actual ancestors! You cannot imagine what that meant to me.
I have since shared these photos with other relatives.
Some jealously guard their work and that is all fine and good, but if you die and all is lost, what has it gotten you? Your family?
Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY in my entire family was doing any research.
My wish before I die is for anybody who needs my data be allowed to have it. Pass it on.

[sandnsea]

1. I have an e-cousin

She contacted me about 2 years ago or so. She is the granddaughter to my grandfather's brother. I don't know the correct term for that. Anyway, turns out we're both wildly activist Dems, although we went different directions in the primaries. We email all the time. We've exchanged pictures, and some old family pictures and stuff too. It's been amazing.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. She's your second cousin. That's easy for me, since I have so many.

My Irish grandfather had ten siblings, and I know many from my generation, some of which are also interested in this. I should also ask them about their politics, since I know my grandfather was a Roosevelt Democrat, though I never met him, since he died when my Dad was still very young. But I'm glad you've had such a positive experience. And we'd love to see your pix.:-)

[bobbieinok]

2. I had done quite a bit of family research in books

my contact with a relative gave me the copy of a family history.....with NO SOURCES

I had done enuff research that I recognized the sources for the old info

a few years ago I found on the internet someone who had done years of research on one family......his info contradicted some of the questionable stuff I had......thru email he explained why his info was arguably the accurate info (wills, etc)

the fabulous result of this email contact.....he gave me the email address of someone who had also discovered his website......the great-grandfather of that person was the older brother of my great-grandfather.....that family had the diary of our branch's move from VA to IA in 1849!!!!!.....I requested and got a copy as quickly as possible

I would probably never have found this treasure without the internet (and the years of research I had done so I recognized the webpage was for MY family)

[Kindigger]

3. I was in contact with a relative in Alabama

She had been adopted, but was researching her birth family. She was a descendant of the "half siblings", my relatives being the other half.

We corresponded for a long time. She emailed often, asking me to go to the courthouse, and look things up (which I was going to do anyway). I was happy to share...up to a point. Before she discovered me, she had been writing my local Genealogy Association, paying $20 per record.

Finally my tree was more or less complete back to a certain generation. I gave her the password to my locked tree at ancestry.com...totally documented, hours spent lurking in cemeteries, pairing unnamed children with the correct parents etc. I expected her to use it to check her work for accuracy. Silly me.

I met another descendant of the "half siblings". We had talked on the phone several times, but he wouldn't give up any information. It was as if their part of the family wasn't even related to my half, and it was none of my business. He told me he had my Great Grandparents wedding picture, and to this day he won't give me a copy. :grr:

He told me the girl from Alabama had just left, after attending a family reunion, and meeting her birth mother. She had given everyone a copy of the family tree. They praised her for all her hard work, and the money she had spent writing for all that information!

He told me he knew who had done the tree, but didn't say a word to anyone. He went on to tell me he was astonished by the depth, deduction, and detective work I had put into my work.

If he had met me one day earlier, I would have had the opportunity to kick her a** all the way back to "bammy". :grr: