Family History -- I am doing it!

We have been doing a lot of family history work lately. It all started back in the summer. We took a trip back to my grandma's house, after she passed away, and we gathered up some of her things (mostly pictures, books, and some furniture) and brought them home with us. For some reason we just felt compelled to do it. My parents were kind enough to fund and go along for the trip, and we were able to gather up some things of worth -- to the family. It was so exciting to look around and find pictures, and information about my family and our history. From that point on I have formed an insatiable hunger to uncover facts and information about where I come from. It has been very exciting. 

Charles and I have been working diligently on www.new.familysearch.org and www.ancestry.com to update our family lines, and to find lost relatives to take to the temple. Charles has been struck hard by the spirit of this work. He is a convert, and his family line was blank. The amazing thing is, as he has been plugging away at the work, he has found that others have been working on his line as well, his history -- in some cases -- has been recorded. We have even found pictures of great grandpa's, and beyond. It has been very exciting for him to find out who he is, by discovering his ancestors. The only problem now is pulling him away from it. :-) He is thoroughly captivated. 

You can find information just by google-searching. I found a name on our line: Dr. Cullen (No, not the vampire). ;-) I did a little search on him with names and dates and found all sorts of information/stories, etc. along with names and dates of others connected to the family, not previously entered on our line. So much is available, sometimes you have to dig for it, but it is amazing what can be found. 

There is SO much accessible information. The internet has information available at the click of a button, that would have taken years to find before. One of the amazing things about the New Family Search program is that it can link up all the work that has already been done. For example: Charles entered information for a few generations back, he found a particular name that had already been entered with attached lineage -- the information just exploded, and that line was traced back to Adam (or so it said). It is really fun to look through all of the names. Especially as you get into Knights and Royalty. The dates are amazing as well. When you find a familiar historical name, you can google search and learn all about that person with new interest. 

The Temple has taken on a whole new perspective. I now understand that linking our families together through the generations is the most important work we can do. I "knew" it before, but I know it now. Everything has been put in a different light, as I find myself connected to the past. 

It is our great privilege to do this work for our ancestors. They need us to do it. We have great tools available to move this work forward. It is exciting, it can be hard -- but it is so worth it. I have felt greater peace enter my life, as well as a feeling of greater purpose. 

You may think your work has been "done" but I am sure there is work to do. I have found that true in my case. And it is your family history, history you should come to learn and love, personally. So, if you have a moment, sign yourself up for New Family Search. You need to be a member, and you need your member number, too. There is all sorts of help to get you started. You can find out who you are!! 

It also gives you a greater perspective of how we are all connected, truly, "brothers and sisters". We are all family -- each one of us is connected -- we are, of course, children of God after all. It is exciting, as you go back far enough, you can see how lines intertwine. You can see how family members from different lines may have traveled together crossing the ocean, or traveling west, or fighting in the same war. When you find out where and when they lived you can look up information, pictures, details, even google map it -- to make it real for you. 

This is one of the pictures that got my interest peeked. That is my Great Grandpa Duncan Kippen (the furthest to the left in the white suit). He was a missionary in Samoa in 1892. 

This was the picture that got me going on Family History. I was sitting at home, flipping through one of the books from my Grandma's house, and my Great, Great, Grandpa Kippen's picture and stories were there. (He is the father of Duncan Kippen the Samoan Missionary.) There was great information about this Mormon Pioneer. It was exciting to find. 
There is much more, and I have a private blog dedicated to family history finds. I just wanted to share my excitement for this new found thrill!! 

Give it a try . . . find your people! They will be forever grateful to you!