The following was taken, with permission, from the 1992 First Quarter of the Marley Family Newsletter. To receive more information on this newsletter, or other articles contained in this newsletter you can telephone them at 1-800-292-2273 or write them at:
8910 W. 62nd Terr.
Merriam, KS 66202
Who Cares About Roots Anyway?
Some of you understand the excitement, especially if you have been doing research on a family line. Then there are others of you who might ask, “Why would anyone waste time chasing down dead people?”
I have been asked that question many times, and my usual flippant answer is, “The dead people don’t give you any trouble, they just lie there waiting for you and me to find them.”
The truth is, doing family history is the most educational thing an individual can get involved in. Why? It forces you to learn the history you were supposed to learn in school, but just weren’t too interested in. “History!” Dull subject, wasn’t it? Not when you learn it was YOUR ancestors who made that history! If you have children, it really makes you look good when they ask you a question about history and you can answer it.
BIBLE & GENEALOGY
My other answer is “If it’s good enough for God, it’s good enough for me!” The first book of the Bible is dedicated to genealogy. In fact, the word genealogy is derived from two Greek words, “genea” meaning descent; and “logos” meaning discourse. It is the study of individuals and their relationships. Family history is the basis of all history. Until the “written word”, families passed their history from generation to generation through “story-tellers”. Stories were told over and over so the younger generation could repeat every story from memory.
Genealogical research can help you in everday living. You learn the importance of making a will so you can decide what will happen to your possessions. You learn how land was acquired, sold, and re-sold. Years ago the only people doing genealogical research were historians and a few dedicated genealogists. When ROOTS, by Alex Haley, was published, thousands of people realized, “Even I can do that!” And DO IT, they did!
FAST GROWING HOBBY
Genealogy is the fastest growing hobby in the world today. Over 200,000 people are actively involved in some form of genealogical research. There are over 2,000 genealogical societies in the United States with members willing to assist the inexperienced as well as the experienced researcher.
You may not realize it, but most of us have been genealogists at one time or another. Remember when the first baby was born in your family and you got that nice little book where you could record the parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents names? You filled in all the progress of the little tyke - first words, first toys, etc. We didn’t do so well with the second child, and the third, the fourth, did we? Does anyone have books for THESE children? Boy are YOU the exception to the rule!
Do any of you have a “grandma’s brag book?” Most of us are not intereted in recording our own lineage, but we sure are interested in recording the descendents of our children. Why would anyone do such a thing? You who are reading this who DO research understand. For those who are not actively involved, let me explain.
IT’S ADDICTIVE
We often say it is a disease; an incurable disease. So if you don’t want to get “hooked”, don’t get involved! I grew up in a small town in Kansas. There were no relatives living nearby and I didn’t have cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, as a part of my life. I had only my four sisters and two brothers. Not until I was twenty-nine years old did I get acquainted with any of my other relatives.
Individuals fortunate enough to have relatives around them couldn’t understand why I wanted so badly to be a part of a family. I guess you wouldn’t understand unless you grew up without one. It was because of a family reunion that was going to occur, I got involved in some genealogical research to induce other family members to attend the reunion.
You might not be interested in genealogy at all, but you might be of help to others who are doing research. Maybe, just maybe, you are the one who has that one bit of information needed by YOUR family historian! Perhaps you inherited the family Bible, or that box of pictures your mother kept without names on the back; or grandma’s and grandpa’s obituaries or other newspaper clippings of special events of family members. So, get on the internet and find your family line and see if there is someone out there that desperately needs your genealogical items.
The above article was written by Joyce Hensen a professional genealogist, hired by Marley Descendent, Michael Frost, to research the Marley Family Line.
If you are a part of the Marley Family, regardless of which line, you can contact us at the address or telephone number at the top of this page. We would LOVE to share information with you.
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