How Will I Know Where I'm Going, If I Don't Know Where I've Been?
A Genealogical Journey
by
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
THIS IS THE STORY OF HOPE, HOW-TO AND HARD WORK. SOME LUCKY FAMILIES HAVE DETAILED HISTORIES OVERFLOWING WITH STORIES AND PICTURES DATING BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
I BARELY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT EITHER SIDE OF MY FAMILY, AND LIKE OTHERS HAD MISTAKEN INFORMATION WHICH NEEDED CORRECTING...
MY SUGGESTION TO READERS IS NEVER TO CONSIDER A QUESTION TOO SIMPLE TO ASK THE EXPERTS...KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT SKELETONS MAY BE UNCOVERED DURING YOUR SEARCH...
REMEMBER - YOU ARE SOLVING A MYSTERY, THAT IS YOUR CHALLENGE. YOUR GENEALOGY MAY NOT BE VOLUMES, BUT IT IS YOURS...
ALWAYS OUT THERE, BUT NEVER KNOWN TO ME
Who were my ancestors? Where did they come from? Where is my extended family? As I took this wondrous adventure of trying to bring my roots to life, I realized that you can gain strength from your heritage with the knowledge you gather each time you 'meet' another ancestor or family member. WE ARE CUSTODIANS OF OUR FAMILY'S MEMORIES. It is our responsibility to pass the stories which we discover by means of the genealogical process.
I am fulfilling a dream by leading you through my exploration to find my family members who were always out there, but never known to me until I undertook the journey of a lifetime. In the process, I found new family friends and the history of those whom I, unfortunately, will never meet in person. These connections to our family I will pass down to future generations, so that their place in our story will not be lost again or forgotten.
THE WEDDING PHOTO
The handsome black and white, panoramic photo from their October 30, 1938 nuptials was the catalyst which propelled me into a daily, three year quest of my heritage...
Remarkably saved along with this treasured piece of history was a little wooden box which had gone unnoticed for over fifty years...it contained the detailed plans for my parents' reception, table by table. Under the carefully folded pages, which were actually ledger sheets from my Grandfather's silk mill...were tiny reply cards...which were just shy of seventy years old... TALK WITH YOUR AGING RELATIVES...DON'T WAIT TOO LONG. THEIR MEMORIES FADE, AND YOU LIKE, I, MAY ONLY HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES.....
DON'T WAIT TO LONG
Yes, I was about to uncover those 'skeletons' in my closet. At times like these, we appreciate the reality of the expression, two sides to every story!...
I admit that I was shocked at hearing the following, but realized that we should not judge others, especially under the circumstances in which our ancestors lived in the late 19th and early 20th century America when conditions were generally in a deplorable state...
The most disturbing accounting from Mimi was regarding Uncle Abe's treatment of his own sons. It was cruel to deny his immigrant sons their r
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About the Book
It is my desire to share my genealogical accomplishments with anyone who feels the deep passion which comes from asking the questions, “who are my ancestors and where is my extended family?” I hope to lead readers down my path of exploration, where I found family members who were ‘always out there, but never known to me.’ My wish is that my discoveries, methods, stories and historical accounts will INSPIRE anyone who wishes to begin the wondrous adventure of bringing his Family Tree and its ‘roots’ to life.
About the Author
Elizabeth Ruderman Miller spent her childhood in the small town of