We were living in southern Germany during the height of the cold war. My father was an officer in an armored cavalry regiment. Dad enjoyed learning about history and famous people but primarily from the Second World War era. Apparently I caught that same interest of history and people because they have been part of my life's work ever since childhood.
Later we returned to the United States, toured Washington, D.C., and settled in western Michigan. Our family finally had time to become acquainted again with our grandparents and other relatives. I was just entering the early years of adolescence.
Years later I read this quote from Ardis Whitman which sums up my feelings at the time.
"To know where I come from is one of the greatest longings of the human heart. More than genealogical data, we seek in the lives of those who went before us the meaning of our lives."
As a teenager I enjoyed listening to the stories of my grandparents and other relatives but had no idea that the average person could actually trace their own family's genealogy. My paternal grandmother had two pieces of paper with family information about her grandparents and an uncle. I dutifully copied the papers so I could have a copy too.
An enlightenment of sorts came in my life when I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was a young adult and had just graduated from a midwestern university. The year after my baptism, our Sunday School offered a course on genealogy and I was asked to participate.
At the time I lacked the faith that I would have much success in tracing my ancestry. Three of my four grandparents were dead. I had some elderly relatives but didn't really know them. My pedigree chart looked rather sparse -- only names and some dates for the grandparents and only one name of a great-grandfather. My family tree appeared more like a whithered shrub than anything else.
Within a few years, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in an historical aspect of the fine arts. I was accepted as a student at Brigham Young University and moved to Provo, Utah. Researching in libraries was something I truly enjoyed.
Being a graduate student in Utah enabled me to spend what little free time I had researching my own ancestry at the BYU library. Occasional visits to the Family History Library (then known as the Genealogy Library) in Salt Lake City also led to some successful experiences.
From this small beginning, I was able to begin the quest of a lifetime. The journey has been well worth the required time and efforts.
Besides climbing my own family's tree, I have helped dozens of other people climb their family trees too. In the Church, I have served as a staff member of three different LDS Family History Centers. Later I served a few times as a family history consultant in two wards and also at the stake level*. I have assisted members while teaching classes and workshops. It has been a tremendous learning process over the years.
Although I have worked a long time with family history and temple work at the local level, I have also served in other Church callings as well -- sometimes concurrently. At times it was a real balancing act to keep researching when other responsibilities (my own immdediate family, work, etc.) demanded equal emphasis. Real life sometimes got in the way of genealogy.
Almost 30 years later, pursuing elusive ancestors has blessed my life with love and appreciation for my heritage. Yet I have gained far more than just ancestors' data to perch on the branches of my family tree. My life has been enriched with the discovery of relatives (both living and dead) as well as making new friendships with dozens of researchers who have similar interests.
Other areas of life have been influenced by family history efforts too. Perhaps in the weeks and months ahead, some of these areas will be explored in 'The Homeward Journey'.
What Ardis Whitman wrote years ago is indeed true. Researching family history not only answers the longings of a human heart but gives understanding and purpose to our lives.
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*The congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to as wards; several wards comprise a stake.
