Heritage Hints From Mama – Getting in Touch With Your Living Ancestors
Getting In Touch With Your Living Ancestors-
Hello from the Deep South, home of magnolias, sweet tea and sweltering hot summers! I am Christy’s Mama and have been invited to share a little wisdom gleamed from my years of experience. Some of it may come in handy and others may just be a little bit of rambling thoughts from my cobwebbed brain. You can take either with a grain of salt. If you have any comments or suggestions along the way, they will be welcomed. Remember, I am getting old so coddle me a bit. Well, here goes!
Today I want to talk about our living ancestors. Do you have a grandparent, older aunt, or uncle living? If so, call today and set up a time for a visit. It doesn’t have to be in person if they live a little far off from you. A phone call will do nicely. I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome and I’m sure your relative will be more than willing to talk with you. They are some of your family’s most precious resources- connect with them!
Is there a favorite food you enjoyed as a child that was prepared by someone in your family? Have you ever wondered about how family traditions started? Or have you ever thought about tracing your family tree? Your older relatives are the easiest way to solve these mysteries and sadly, once these relatives pass on, their knowledge goes with them.
Take a week or so, to think about growing up and some of the memories that come to mind. Make a list of questions you would like answered. You will probably be surprised at the things you think of. Christy hears of so many people that enjoyed a certain food when they were small and long for just one more taste of it. Most of the time it is an everyday food that was prepared from memory and just can’t quite be duplicated. All it would have taken was a few minutes to watch it being prepared and taking a few notes. But when that relative passed on, the recipe was lost forever. Don’t let this happen to you.
If you have ever thought of taking up genealogy as a hobby, your relatives are your best and easiest by far resource for getting a great start. Ask about grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Take detailed notes and list any names, locations, birth dates, marriages, deaths, etc. Let your relative talk about whatever crosses their mind. You will learn much more than names and dates. You will learn about the where and why that made your family what it was.
If you are able to, take older relatives back to where they lived and went to school, church, etc. It is amazing the stories that they will recall. I have done this with my mother who is 80 years young and even though I had asked questions a thousand times with no answers, it was amazing some of the things she remembered when taken back to the places where she had carried on her day to day life.
Also ask your older relatives if they have any old family pictures. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. By sure and list who the people are in the picture. Believe me, I am speaking from experience. You will probably forget Aunt Sophie’s sister’s name and where they were when the picture was taken. Nowadays, it just takes a quick trip and a little cash to get a picture copied. The old pictures don’t mean a thing if you don’t know who is in them. Old pictures are some of my most prized possessions and I’m sure they will become some of yours too!
To get you started, take a minute and think about what you would have liked to know from relatives who have passed on. Then, you may just realize the importance of taking advantage of the resources you have before they are gone. We are all busy and even though we have good intentions, it seems like we have a hard time getting around to some of the important aspects of our lives. Please make an appointment to take care of a little family business before it is too late. This is just a little advice from me to you.
I’d love to hear some of the wisdom or family history you have uncovered just by taking the time to talk with your living relatives. Please feel free to chat with me in the comments section below. I’ll read them all and look forward to answering!
I’ll be talking with you from time to time but until then, remember Mama loves you and I’ll see you soon!
~Mama
“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children – one is roots, and the other, wings.”
~Hodding S. Carter
These are such wise words. I have lost both of my parents, all of my grandparents, and many of my aunts and uncles. There is nobody left to ask and I so regret I never did this when I was younger because, while I didn’t care much about it back then, I do now. Good advice.
Pleased to meet you Janice ; )
Wonderful advice!
I know how very proud you must be in all of your lovely daughter’s accomplishment’s.
I’ve so enjoyed her family stories and the recipe’s that have been passed down to her. Most of them are so familiar as I too am a southern belle. A Georgia peach to be exact. Hey, we’re practically neighbors. And I do love some good ol’ southern cooking. Although I have to limit myself these day’s. I just can’t keep my girlish figure eating fried chicken and biscuit’s and gravy like I used to. So I love to pop in Southern Plate and see what’s cooking and just drool . And ever so often I’ll try a recipe and I have yet to be disappointed. Yummy!!! Just answer me this… how do you stay so thin? Why if I ate food like this everyday I’d be as big as Aunt Pitty-Pat.
Oh I’m sorry I meant Aunt Sophie. I do have a Aunt Sophie who is 86 year’s young. I think I’ll give her a call. Thank’s ! I’ll look forward to your future post.
Blessings to you and your family,
Sheila
You know Christy married a Georgia peach and he is a true peach! I thank you so much for the thin comment. I told Christy this morning that I need to lose 20 pounds. It is always a struggle, isn’t it? I cook every night and usually have a full meal. I eat on a small Corelle plate and try my best not to get second helpings! Give your Aunt a call. You will not be sorry! Mama
Absolutly delightful! Watch out Christy, your mama may need a blog of her own. I loved reading your advice and wish only that someone had given me this advice when I was younger and my “elders” were still with me. In 2008 when my mother died at 92 my brother and I sat looking through boxes of old photos, not knowing who the people were and where they were. It was devastating. My parents grew up in S. GA as children of share crop farmers so there are many similarities in our southern roots. I look forward to your future posts and thank you for them.
As I’ve written before, Mom died died when I was 5 and I knew nothing of my maternal side and very little of my paternal side. Due to Ancestry.com, I’ve found the last living 1st cousin of my Mom.. I found a man in California who turned out to be her son. His Mom lives in N.C ( my original home state) and I live in New Jersey. I’ve answers to questions that I’ve had my whole life.
Mama, thanks for the words of encouragement. We love Chrissy like a sister and now, we love you!
I lost my precious aunt several weeks ago, now my daddy, who is 80, and two older cousins in their 90’s are all that’s left of that generation. I feel like I need to find out as much as I can. Here in the south, family and traditions are so much a part of our way of life that you take things for granted. But now, I feel a need to find out what I can from Daddy. I want to pass it on to my grandchildren. Going to make some lemonade and go sit down with Daddy and have a glass with him while I listen to his life and hear him talk about my grandparents and their parents. He’s the last tie to those generations. Thanks Christy’s mom! Look forward to your next post!!
That may be the best glass of lemonade you ever taste! The company we share lemonade with makes it sooo sweet. Have a glass for me! Mama
one more quick story- i learned that my g. grandmother got married and she had 16 petticoats on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can you imagine???? and my grandaddy who died in 1918 had the first wreath that was ever put on a grave in the cemetary he was buried in– it was all greenery, no flowers but it was the first wreath ever brought to that cemetary. neat, huh?????
so quickly life goes by, and so goes the older generation until one day you realize YOU ARE the older generation, and if you don’t know it, then who is going to tell it????????????????where you came from, how you got to the part of the country you are in now, and what all happened to your family along the way. there is a story between the hyphen on the tombstones, and it’s sad if you didn’t get to know it before it was too late. i was fortunate, my mother did a lot of family history before she died, i learned thru reading this that i come from a good stock of people, hard working, God fearing family and neighbor loving people. i am so proud of who i come from. yes, you need to find out who you are and who you came from before it’s too late !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!