Originally published on genealogyatheart.blogspot.com on 15 Nov 2015.
Last Sunday I wrote about genealogy bullies and record thieves. I reflected this week, and with Thanksgiving around the corner and the heinous events in Paris, I wanted to take a moment to think about all the kindhearted genealogists out there that far outweigh the small number of bullies. So with here’s what I’m thankful for…
- Maggie Landfair who responded to a Rootsweb bulletin board posting I did in 1999 and provided me with so much info she had collected on her husband’s side and put me in touch with the author of two Leininger books so I could learn about my dad’s side of the family.
- Bob Leininger who shared his electronic files with me while he was half way around the world. I’ve referred to those documents (and his books) time and time again. Just wish he would update them! Hint, Hint
- Edgar Duer Whitley who somehow figured out that my DURE family should be DUER and shared his lifelong work with me just weeks before he passed away. I never found out how he got my email address but I was sure thankful he did.
- Librarians across the country who have done lookups, gave advice and went above and beyond to help me solve so many family mysteries. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever met a librarian that didn’t help me.
- Countless distant relatives who have contacted me via online sources willing to share what they’ve discovered and nicely correcting wrong info I may have put out there.
- Jenny Mig who I’ve never met but is the complete opposite of the bullies I mentioned last week. Here’s an email from her: “Hello, I just purchased a family bible from ebay that belonged to John Travis Harbaugh. I know it’s weird that I bought a family bible that has nothing to do with my family, it was just heartbreaking for me to see someones family history being auctioned off like that. Most of them are hundreds of dollars, but I was able to get this one cheap. I will be scanning all of the hand written pages as soon as it arrives, then I am donating it to the Perry County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Please let me know if you would like copies of the records that are written in the bible.” Jenny did just what she said she would. How inspirational that she cares so much about history and record preservation to reach out to a perfect stranger.
- All my ancestors who took a stand for what was just. It took great courage and I let them serve as a role model for me.
- My ancestors who didn’t make the right choice. That may seem odd to be thankful for but it reinforces our humanism and allows me to learn from their mistakes.
- My emigrating ancestors who circled the globe to seek a better life. Their acceptance and acclamation of different cultures amazes me. Tolerance and acceptance, we could all use the reminder.
- and I’m most thankful for my husband, daughter and son who put up with my incessant talking about dead people they never knew and dragging them to countless cemeteries, libraries, museums, courthouses, and old homes around the country for years. They still talk about how I got them lost in the Dismal Swamp on a road trip back from Washington, DC on December 30, 1999. No GPS, the AAA triptics were wrong, we were running out of gas, it was getting dark AND we were all concerned that maybe Y2K really would be a problem. We made it home safely and I continue the family search.
Please take a moment to reflect on the good in the world and make it a goal to tell someone today you appreciate them.