Life 29 Dec 2005 10:30 am
Hook, Line, and Sinker!
George Santayana once said, “Those who forget the past, are condemned to a repeat it.” Mr. Robertson quoted this in 9th grade American History and Government. It was a class that gave me my love for history. The word out was that he had his PHD but was teaching junior high because he liked it and had been there forever. Either way, the man was hard but incredibly knowledgable. He was the teacher that everyone hated, who told you that you had a test the night before, and the one who appeared so cold but down deep you knew he was a real person. Mr. Robertson had a flair for the “finer” things in life. I often wondererd if that was why I liked him so. Regardless, it was in 9th grade that my love for history began to flourish.
That quote has shaped part of who I am and what I beleive. It’s true and applicable for government, politics, and at present, family history. When Joel got me the Family Tree Maker I was happy but I really wasn’t sure if I would be able to go very far. After all, everyone you talk to about ancestry says that it can be very detailed and you have to have a bunch of information. I was intrigued but still skeptical. It wasn’t until I started using it and documenting everything that Gigi dictated to me that it became interesting. I talked with Aunt Carol and Uncle Keith who interned talked with Grandpa and found out stuff about our ancestors changing their last name and having babies on the boat. How fascinating. It became a huge puzzle at that point. I was caught, hook line and sinker!
Once I found the census records showing Prosper Duchene, the daddy of Clara Duchaine (note the spelling change) I was completely enthralled. I hit a jackpot. Since that first night, I have been amazed at how quickly the information has come to me. There is part of me that wonders if I have it correct but then I go back and retrace my steps and it appears to be so. I’m so looking forward to getting the papers and the pictures that mom and Gigi have to help support my findings. Currently on both sides of the family, I have gone as far back as 1660. Mind you that is just with names and dates and places. I have not found personal information about many of them other than Grandpa Sig’s mom was a seamstress and it was his parents that came over to the US. I have not found blue blood yet but then at this point, I just have a bunch of names. I am curious to start looking into why everyone came to the US when they did. Was the potatoe famine going on and did it affect Sweden, Belgium, and France? Was it just the thought of making a new life? I know we have come from a long line of farmers and mill workers. Working with your hands seems to be a valuable trait passed down in our family.
I hope to continue my searching today. It’s been amazing how quickly time will fly. Joel probably did create a monster with the software. I now am beginning to get the desire to go in search of graves in Michigan, Wisconsin, California, Sweden, and Belgium. The desire to know more about our ancestry and the mother countries is growing faster and stronger than I ever thought possible. It is my hope that I will be able to one day pass down the information and instill the belief that knowing where you come from helps in determining where you will go. And maybe catch others in the family, HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER!