Then I would suggest you start by doing your family research. You know… genealogy!
For simplicity sake, I would recommend you begin your search with one surname from your merging families. Personally, I chose to specialize on researching my paternal surname. In the meantime, I kept photocopied records of other surnames that married into my paternal family… only as I came across them. In other words, I did not deliberately go looking for these records.
As you search your family’s history, you’ll discover things like, say, where you got your unique nose, or ears. But most importantly, you’ll become “hooked” on history and geography! You’ll learn things that, say, your great-grandparents did… and you thought you were blazing new trails!
Should you decide to start your family research, you should start with yourself and work backwards in time. You will need to collect photocopies of all vital statistic documentation (birth, marriage, death registrations/certificates), baptismal records where and when possible, and pictures… and maybe even video clips now.
As you go backwards in time, you will learn what the economy was like at that time. Maybe you’ll even discover your great-grandparents came from another country. Then you will want to know which country, when did they immigrate, why… etc. By the time you know your great-grandparents well enough to know whether a document would have been filed or not… you’ll know yourself a whole lot better.
Genealogy though mostly an inexpensive hobby… can be addictive, so consider yourself warned :-). Once you start your family tree, you MAY be able to put your searching aside from time-to-time, but you’ll always find a way to return to your project. You MIGHT even start your own website using the surname you “specialized” in researching.
- Some examples:
- Adams Alcove…
- Collins Corner….
- Nilles Niche…
- Nolan’s Nook…
- Proud to be Parr
- Rapoports Rescued…
- Summerhalls Space…
- Sutherland’s Spot…
… and the list goes on.
Related Articles:
What is Genealogy?
Why is Genealogy Important?
What To Do When You Have A Common Surname
