Why I became a genealogist

About Me

The search for my family roots began in the parking lot of a grocery store about 27 years ago. I was returning home from high school and another round of ribbing by classmates about my surname.

I clearly remember the thought that popped into my head that day: “Where did my weird surname come from?”

That seemingly benign question led to a flood of other questions: Did this scrawny 17 year old with blue eyes and blonde hair look anything like his ancestors? How come I was so shy? Why did I like to eat onions so much?

When I arrived home, I promptly asked mom and dad about my ancestors. They didn’t have many answers and pointed me towards my great uncle, who apparently was our family genealogist.

It turned out that great uncle Selwyn could spin quite a fabulous tale about how I was descended from kings and queens. Entertaining stuff! But, years latter I discovered that most of my ancestors were agricultural laborers.

There had to be a better way to solve this puzzle. I started devouring genealogy how-to-books during my summer holidays, hungry to answer that nagging question: Where did I come from?

I started interviewing every relative that would listen

I started interviewing every relative that would listen to me. Some understood my quest, others quietly pushed me out the door and yet others like my great Aunt Melvina were downright nasty about my “prodding and prying.”

The life of a genealogist, I quickly learned, wasn’t always easy.

My next plan of attack? A letter writing campaign

My next plan of attack was to start a letter writing campaign. Barricaded in my bedroom, I banged our query after query on my trust Smith Corona typewriter.

I almost gave up on the idea of becoming a genealogist

When I was about to shelve the idea of becoming our family genealogist, I received a very important handwritten letter. The author was the granddaughter of my great great grandfather – the guy that had pulled up roots in England to come to Canada.

Her enthusiasm and support of my research spurred me on. She said I must be a fine looking young man and was very happy that someone in the family had taken on the task of researching our family history.

You've practically traced us back to the Vikings!

That one letter from Marjory turned into many and each one yielded a gold mine of information. In a telephone conversation, I we promised to meet each other in the ghost town where my gg granddad had lived.

Life got in the way. I went off to University. My genealogy research took a back seat. In her last letter to me, I noticed that Marjory's graceful handwriting hand changed. She even pointed out that it was getting shaky.

I was a youngster still and never paid heed to it. Marjorie never did answer my last letter. She had passed away. I never got to thank the women who is the reason why, 27 years latter, I still love genealogy.

My favourite quote from one of her letters is: "You've practically traced us back to the Vikings!"

Genealogy has taught me about the importance of perseverance

Learning about my ancestors’ hardships has helped me along with my own. They have taught me about the value of perseverance and the enduring importance of family.

I have been very fortunate to turn my hobby and passion into a career.

This website is dedicated to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

This website is dedicated to every member on every branch of my family tree - The Good! The Bad! and The Ugly! Like it or not, they have had some contribution to shaping the person I am today.

This website is also devoted to the many visitors to my website. I hope by sharing my knowledge, I can help other budding genealogists discover the joy and thrill of this hobby. Return to Home Page from Genealogist