Marci Baun

I admit it. I am addicted to genealogy research. Perhaps it’s the combination of history and family (two of my favorite subjects–er, two among many). The last time I started researching the family tree, I found myself sucked into the black void of census research, ancestry.com, and internet searches. Not vanity, although I suppose that family tree is somewhat of a vanity search, but searches trying to find records of people who have been dead for, in some cases, centuries. It’s amazing what you can find. Did you know that the US census records date back to the late 1700s? But at that time, and until about 1820 (I think, don’t quote me on this as I don’t remember now), only the heads of the households (men, white men) had their names on the census records. The wife and kids were just noted as numbers (1 wife, 2 sons, 3 daughters, etc.) as were slaves. The feminist in me protested even as I reminded myself that women, children, and slaves were still considered chattel at that time.

It becomes a puzzle, and for someone like me who likes puzzles, and a challenge, it’s nearly impossible to resist. When I started the research last year, there were nights I stayed up until 2-3 am doing research. One link would lead to another and another. I’d look at the clock, it was 10 p.m., and then I’d look at the clock again and 4-5 hours had passed.

Truly, this is addictive.

My main purpose for the research was to gather enough proof to join DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). There are benefits to being a member, and the group in my area is really nice. The problem is having the type of proof they want. The one side with an annotated bibliography to the ancestor who fought during the Revolution–there is some dispute as to whom this ancestor belongs. The other side has at least two instances of ancestors who fought on the side of the colonists. The problem: My relatives came over the Oregon Trail. Family Bibles were lost, other records were destroyed in an Oregon flood, and the wife of my ancestor descended from the revolutionary fighter is barely mentioned. I found an obituary in a newspaper from 1802 stating that she was married to the revolutionary fighter, but their children weren’t named. And the other one, we are missing records as well.

It’s frustrating and rewarding all at the same time. And, I suppose, when I start researching again, I’ll be sucked into the Charybdis and have to fight my way out just like I did the last time. LOL

So, what’s your addiction?

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