I just wanted to write a post about how much I love the genealogy world. People are so kind and helpful. They will volunteer THEIR time and hours on YOUR family. They respond to your queries and really care about YOU.
A little back-story... I grew up with little information about my father. For years, half of my tree was missing. I still had plenty to work on, believe me... But I wanted to know my ancestors... One day, my father reached out to me through Facebook. I wasn't sure that I was ready to have him in my life, but then I remembered my family who had gone before.
I added him and his mother, my grandmother, as friends. I asked a few questions and as it turns out, a distant cousin had done a ton of work on my paternal grandmother's side, the Terpenings. He even wrote a book!
I frantically searched through all of this information and added it to my tree. It was so exciting. I asked permission to complete some of the ordinances for my near ancestors (I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.). I learned from people who knew my great-grandparents that they had been good people and had faith. I was so happy to hear about them, read about them, and search them out. I know that they lived their lives the best that they could. They went through many trials, as we all do, but came out fine :)
Like me, my father had no contact with his dad. My grandmother doesn't like to talk about him, and that's her right, but I know that both my father and I want to know him, no matter who he is. I couldn't find much information without knowing if he was deceased or not. The other day I had an assignment to complete for a family history class that I am taking through BYU-Idaho. I was to post a query on three different websites. I decided to ask about my grandpa. I have just been flooded with information. It has been less than a week and I already have over 10 records with information that is possibly about my grandfather.
I am so excited to go through this information, perhaps talk to my grandmother, and see what else I can learn. I've learned his mother's name (she was from the Czech Republic, then Czechoslovakia). I just love the genealogical community right now!
