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Re: Friday Funnies...a bit early
<<To a lesser degree, because of population
movement, many people in the US have lost contact with their roots and live
far from relatives, and likewise are searching for a home.>>
I can understand that. As my father's youngest, and his only child with my
mother, I've noticed that my half-siblings are fascinated by geneaology -
while I, who work at a state archives, have only a mild interest in the
subject. I've concluded that one reason (the biggest, probably) is that I
grew up hearing endless, very personal ancestral tales as I followed Dad
around (he was a self-employed fisherman, so I did that a lot!). I seem to
have a sense of being "grounded" in my community and family that his older
children, who didn't experience that kind of one-on-one time with him, lack.
Never realized it until I repeated a story or two, and my genealogist Big
Sis (his oldest) treated these tales as if they were gold nuggets. To me
"great-gram's six husbands" and "great-grandpa's fall off the town wharf,"
and so on, are just...Dad's wonderfully told stories. But had I not been
lucky enough, as I now realize I was, to hear them and remember them? I am
sure I'd feel quite differently about genealogy!
Now that Dad's gone, I figure my job is to pass on his stories. I let Big
Sis handle the research. :-)
Nina M. Osier, Director
Division of Records Management Services
Maine State Archives
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