Your family tree is filled with intrigue, secrets and life stories waiting to be revealed. Ancestor Appreciation Day, observed annually on September 27, affords you the perfect opportunity to announce, “I’m going to climb my family tree!”
Most of us are well versed in who our parents and grandparents are, no sleuthing skills required. For a real exercise in mystery solving, dig deeper for clues to trace your lineage, grow the tree far beyond those first few branches.
First, organize a family reunion and seize the opportunity to pose familial questions to members of your clan. When members of large families get together, tongues loosen and tales flow as freely as the wine being served.
Next, research public registries and archived newspapers for birth, marriage, death and property information. Each new discovery could be a key that opens the door to another branch on the tree.
Wile away rainy afternoons browsing through the treasure trove of sepia-toned photographs, yellowed newspaper clippings and personal mementos. They’re usually stashed away in an attic, somewhere between the old vinyl records and the holiday decorations.
On Ancestor Appreciation Day, commit to reconstructing those ancestral stories. It can be a long-term project, but also a pleasant journey. The many stories of your ancestors await your discovery, all to be passed along to future generations.
