When We Are Gone .....

[emanday]

Right now my son has absolutely no interest in "the past". I suppose he's no different than I was in my 20's, but look what I'm doing now!

My daughter, on the other hand, is interested enough to ask how I'm doing and will listen, and ask questions, when I relate any new snippits I've discovered.

I'm fairly certain that, when I "shake off this mortal coil", she will make sure all this stuff is properly cared for.

Who knows? Although she shows no sign of taking part in the search herself yet, I feel the bug will bite when she takes the time to sit and go through my research.

[Ina]

I guess I'm lucky as my son in very interested in all of the research I do. He is extremely proud of his Scottish heritage (just recently bought himself a kilt) .

My 14 year old grandson is showing a great deal of interest. He questions me all the time about my mother and father and what it was like growing up in Scotland. I only wish I had asked more questions while my parents were alive.

Ina

[wini]

I wonder if todays Census returns will ever go online?

In Australia they ask so many questions on the Census returns it is as long as a novel.

Does anyone keep copies of their own Census Returns to add to their collection?

wini

[DavidWW]

I wonder if todays Census returns will ever go online?

....snipped.............

wini

The "problem" is the original legislation which guaranteed that the information would be held confidential for 100 years.

In addition, great play is made every 10 years now that the current census is based on that 100 year confidentiality period, - in other words there could be an adverse effect on future censuses were the legislation that led to the 100 years closure period being over-ruled ....... as it is there are currently some major issues regarding the accuracy of recent censuses.

Soooooo... unless there's a major change of policy and the required legislation, the 1921 and later censuses won't be available for the 100 year period (there's just no chance of the 1911 any earlier, - well there is actually, - rather than 1st January 2012, as has previously been the case, it could be the exact 100 year anniversary in 2011).

David

[Pandabean]

Wow I feel young here. I am only 20 and so far I am the only one interested in doing the research in the imediate family. As for kids well I still have to wait to have them to see what happens.

I guess I am interested in it as I am proud of my heritage and always wanted to see where I come from. Most of my ancestors are miners and I turn out to be a Geologist.

I have only one grandparent still living and it is very hard for her to look at photos as her eyesight is very poor. She has dozens upon dozens of photos in her cupboard. Wish I could have asked her a few years ago.

[scml]

My Mum got me interested, as she wanted to write her life story. So she would send me letters every couple of months with the next installment and I typed it all up on my trusty computer and printed it up for her with photos etc. In it I included the family pedigree chart, or what I knew of it at the time. Then I decided I should do the same for my Dad, and now I am hooked, trying to trace my family lines back as far as I can.
At the moment my kids just think Iam crazy for looking "for dead folk", but a few months back, one did say she would like all my "stuff" when I die.
I guess that shows there is hope that my work won't be wasted And no doubt, they may become more interested in this when they are older, as I know I didn't even think of it until I "matured"

[davran]

My kids are vaguely interested, but are totally confused as to which part of the family I'm talking about. Unless it's in 'tree' form they can't follow what's going on. I'm afraid I just get carried away with research and have masses of stuff that needs verifying and sorting!

[AnneM]

Hi

I hope I live for a while longer if only to make sure everything on the tree is recorded properly. So far my kids are not that interested but eventually they may become so and even if they are not perhaps my eventual grandchildren will.

They did show a passing interest in their 4x great grandfather who fought at Sebastapol. I've worked on their father's side as well as mine (with his consent of course) so it should be all there for whichever eventually realises how fascinating it is.

I also have a fair amount on my husband's rellies so I'm hoping one of his children would be interested in that.

Having said that even if the only person who ever appreciates the work is me it's been well worth it and will continue to entertain for some time!! A genealogist's work is never done.

Anne

[JMRobertson]

I started researching my family when I was 12 (now 36). I am the only one in the family interested. EXCEPT when I find something, then people are like, "ooh, aah". Then the excitement goes away and it's back to research without their interest.

When I started researching, we (parents and sister) were getting ready to travel from Massachusetts to Oregon. My mother's family was all in Oregon, but I had assumed that they were all on Cape Cod, which is where I grew up. Nope, I was wrong and a little confused!

I found out that the family in Oregon were my mother's aunts and uncles, and she had been born in Oregon, as well as her sister. Her mother died at the young age of 37 and that left my grandfather to raise 2 girls while also serving in the Navy.

LONG story short, that summer my grandfather passed away, 2 days after we returned from Oregon. Kinda like he knew we were coming home for him. I never had the chance to ask him about his life. Never occured to me to ask, even though I was old enough to understand.

From there, I started to ask my father about our last name, Robertson. Which leads me to here, proud of my heritage, hoping that my own son will someday take over my research and/or pass it down to his children.

My son has 2 family names (both from mother's side) but still has his grandfather around to share the stories of his own father and talk about being a Scot!

I have 3 file cabinets, 4 storage totes and numerous binders full of family history information! I also finished writing a family book about my mom's side of the family last April 2007 and had it privately published. Over 30 family members from her side bought a copy!

I am now working on the Robertson/Sutherland lines and hope to have something to pass on to my son. My married name is Linn, so I'm also wokring on that line, then there is my grandfather's mother, she was a Gorham(descendants from Capt John Gorham...), my list goes on and on and just when you think you've finished finding the information to tell your family story, you get a new lead, and there goes more credits to SP and that blasted credit card.....I have that memorized!

If we were to have a fire, I dont know what I would rescue, I would be torn! But I would have to say that my laptop would come wiht me, as it as ALOT of files on it right now!

Let's hope our future generations realize how much time and effort that we have put into preserving their past!

[joette]

I am hoping my niece will take over as I know she should be the next generation's family historian.She is not at all interested although we have little breakthroughs when we talk of departed family who she never met.

There is mention of it in her Patriachal Blessing so i am hoping to make her feel guilty enough to get involved.She has phenomenal research,computer & creative writing skills so I think she would be the natural choice.i have given her all the user name/passwords for Genes R& Scotland's People so that if there is anything I haven't covered she can find.She is also a pretty nifty photographer & put together a great book for my Mum at Christmas of photos/comments from the clan.