My niece is driving me crazy!

[sheilajim]

Hi Joette,

Couldn't help but laughing at your post. I wish the new couple well and hope that the weather is good for the wedding.

As for my niece, just after posting my last response, she called again. I told her to come over to my place. She said that she is really only interested in her great grandparents, (Yeah right, that is how I got started) but wanted to come to my place today. I told her to come tomorrow instead, as my husband is home today. She will be here tomorrow. I haven't had another phone call from her since.

[LesleyB]

Hi Sheila
Hope all goes well and that she is willing to help you out with a bit of research!

Best wishes
Lesley

[paddyscar]

Keep us posted, Sheila!

[Anne H]

Sheila wrote:

She said that she is really only interested in her great grandparents, (Yeah right, that is how I got started)...

Hmm! That sounds like a response coming from someone who wants to hear all about it, but not so interested in helping out. On the otherhand, once she sees what you have, she'll yearn for more...maybe!

As Frances said "keep us posted".

Regards,
Anne H

[AnneM]

Hi Sheila

A bit of fellow feeling here. My youngest nephew bugged me senseless for a while about it all until I sent him copies of my Family Historian reports and family tree diagrams. He is only 13 and thanks me nicely in his lovely acquired Irish accent so I can only be positive that someone is taking an interest. My own children are very selective in what they will take on. The boys were quite keen on their great great grandfather on their father's side who fought at Sebastopol but generally can't get excited about my collection of fishermen, ship's carpenters and shepherds......I wonder why not!!

Anne

[sheilajim]

Hi All,

Anne, my niece will probably be overwhelmed by all of the stuff that I have.
I am not surprised that your children are only interested in what they think are the more exciting ancestors. It seems most people are that way. They aren't interested in the humdrum existence of ordinary people.

But I think that all of our ordinary 'old rellies' have a good story to tell as well. The problem is finding out what it was. For instance, I wonder what one of my multi great grandmothers thought about her husband living with a woman half his age who called herself his 'wife'. Were they officially separated or did they just decide to live separately unofficially? I would love to learn more but I probably never will.

[LesleyB]

Hi Sheila

But I think that all of our ordinary 'old rellies' have a good story to tell as well.

I think when you are younger, the exciting stuff is what draws your attention. The more subtle stuff, like the life of your average Ag. Lab. only maybe appeals when you are older and can appreciate the finer points that, although perhaps not exciting, it is still of interest and absorbing because it is part of what led to you being around in the first place and that you are part of what formed the country and the way it is now, and the parts your folk played in the argicultural and industrial revolution etc etc.

Best wishes
Lesley

[sheilajim]

Hi Leslie

You are so right! Though sometimes even older people are only interested to find out if their relatives are interesting or rich.

Regards

[joette]

I keep looking for scandalous & just am not getting it.Although I suppose it's all relative.

I suspect that what we consider everyday & even mundane would be eye-poppingly outlandish to them.For example a professional woman making her own money & owning her own property.
Or Trade Union membership or votes for women.

I wonder what our descendants will think scandalous of us?
Oh & I think most of us have rellies who want all the details but none of the work.Or any of the boring details.

[marypryde]

I have some relatives who perked up once I could demonstrate that grandpop's "parents" were really his grandparents - and this his birth registration says "ILLEGITIMATE."

Those folks in the 19th century could never have imagined that one day a descendant all the way in the USA would view the birth record on a device called a computer!