Our Future Family Historians

What will you leave behind after the sands of time have run out of your hourglass? Will there be mysteries to be solved, or secrets to uncover? Will you perhaps leave a few tantalizing crumbs in a hand-written journal? Have you taken the time as you grow older, to consider if you even have a child or grandchild who will remotely show interest in uncovering what your life was about? Even for the current generation of younger people in my family, it will be an extremely tough decision to make; as to whom is deserving enough and responsible enough to carry the torch of our family history! As genealogists, we take great pride in our research, (those of us who are serious), and like a set of fine family jewels; we consider it a legacy to pass on.
I myself have begun writing 2 separate life journals. One to my son, and one specifically about my life. I have been testing some younger members of my family for responsibility levels, and commitment. Thus far, they have not proven to be reliable. I am hoping that one day before it is too late, they will step up to the plate. Otherwise, I will be making a different decision, regarding all family history research. When and if they do, they will receive a wealth that has no monetary value. It's value goes beyond that of any paper or coins!
As we live our lives, and go through the mundane daily chores and appointments that take up much of our time; it is easy to get caught up in that daily routine. It is very hard to take out even a few peaceful minutes of solitude to have for our very own! Those of us who enjoy the creativity of writing, will keep a notebook handy to jot down a passing thought, or a simple message. There are no rules to writing a journal. Keeping dates help to remember when we wrote each entry. It also helps the reader later on, to determine when at any given point in time, we experienced each thought. Have some fun with it. You never know who might come to read it in decades to come!

What Is A Mom?

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, 4/16. Today's blogpost is written in her memory. She died in Sept. 2005, from cancer. Many mixed feelings come to mind when I think of her. Books, poems, and songs put mother's high up on a pedestal. Oftentimes, writer's tend to forget that mom's are just humans, complete with all the flaws that come with being a member of the mere mortal race. They are all given the same set of tools and roadmap of life that the rest of us have had, let's face it, raising children can be dauntless at times!
Yes, my mother indeed had her moments, as we all do. I even ask myself sometimes, would I have done it any differently being in her exact pair of shoes? That is a question that will go on without a definite answer. Growing up, we tell ourselves that when we become adults, that we will do everything different from our parents; because don't forget, in our eyes, they did it all wrong. We tell ourselves that we will NEVER be like them! But as we grow into that scary time of life known as adulthood, and parenthood, we suddenly hear ourselves speaking in terms that were drilled into our heads by our parents! Oh my God, did I say that?? Yes, when all the dust has settled, and we take that long look in the mirror, we realize that fate has stepped in, and we HAVE BECOME OUR PARENTS!! But, would we have it any other way??? I leave it to you to decide....



"Who Do You Think You Are?"

The past 2 weeks have been filled with excitement and anticipation with the release of the 1940 Census. We as family historians, have waited eagerly 10 long years to dig into a whole new set of records. But, what would we actually find in them? One thing I have to constantly do mental battle with, is the strong temptation of going into a search with long-held preconceived notions of who my family is, and choices that they made. I am an avid follower of the television show "Who Do You Think You Are?", and I see that same look in the celebrities eyes for every episode. They are no different than me, with a set of hand-me -down family beliefs, and the astonished look of surprise when the evidence before them bears out an entirely different family history.
When I began my 1940 search for my dad's family last week, I made a surprising little discovery. All the family members were still accounted for and living in the same household on the Guerin farm except for one. My Uncle Albert, age 21 by then was missing. His soon to be future wife and her family, Doralice Demers, were living right next door. Albert and Doralice would be married the following year in November 1941, at St. Ann's Church in Mooers Forks, New York, and he would be working for one of the railroads that ran through Clinton County. My next thought in searching for Albert was to look in the other surrounding towns located within Clinton County where the 2 major railroads were located. Thus far, no such luck. I will set aside my quest to find dear Uncle Albert for now, as I do have a lengthy list of maternal family members to locate. When the time is right, I will find him, and hopefully find the answer as to why he was living elsewhere.

The Next Generation of Guerins

When I look at this picture of my cute, adorable 3 year old nephew, Caleb Robert Guerin, I can't help but ask the question; "Is the world going to be ready for him, when his time comes?". Each succeeding generation seems to think that they have all the answers, and the one before it has screwed things up. Our Guerin Blood runs strong in our veins, and brings with it many positive attributes, like an appreciation for hard work and a job well done. We Guerin's also have a very intense stubborness or tenacity that prevent us from even considering the very idea of giving up. Instead, we persevere, even while struggling, until we prosper to a positive outcome! Though we, as the older generation have a responsibility to share our knowledge with the young ones; I am looking forward to the freshness of new ideas or new takes on old ideas that our Little Man Caleb will bring to the table of life. We should never be so set in our ways, that we can't have an open mind to learn something from the next generation to come after us! Young Caleb will never have the opportunity to meet his Pipe` Guerin, but I will make sure that he learns all about him.

In Search of My Guerins

Today's post is about my re-newed search for my paternal family, my Guerins. Now that I have very successfully completed my first family history book for part of my maternal family side; I am on a new quest to further persue my dad's family. His picture is seen here at the top of this page, and his name is Armand Rene` Guerin. My younger brother is proudly named after our dad in memory of him. My dad was part of the first generation of my Guerins to be born in the United States; as his father immigrated here from France in the very early 1900's. No, he did not pass through Ellis Island, like so many others did. Instead, he arrived through Quebec, Canada along with hundreds of other french citizens. My pipe`s (pronounced pip-ay), which is french for grandpa, name was Andre` Cyrille Guerin; and he made the journey here alone, at the age of 21, leaving his family behind in his hometown of Chauffour et` Treschy, near Paris. Thanks to the wonders of Google Earth, I was able to pinpoint the exact location of his hometown, and even take a small tour of it at street level!
My next hope is to locate Andre` and his family in France, and track their movements to identify his siblings. I have both of Andre`s parents names from his Social Security card application. They are Narcisse (Nelson) Guerin and Matilda Fueilleret. Hopefully, this will not be a big stumbling block or brick wall; since foreign countries document their citizens quite different than what we do in the USA. Wish me luck as I am sure that I will need it!

Health Benefits of Doing Your Family history

It has been 2 weeks since my last post. Alot has happened in my family since the last time I visited my blog to write. It is a very sad time for my family right now. We lost a very beautiful young woman last Friday to a terrible disease, known as Cystic Fibrosis. She was a bright shining light, who always had a smile on her face, and an amazing amount of courage. She fought a lifelong battle that very few can truly understand. I am dedicating this post to honor her memory.
Even though we, as humans cannot predict our future, as far as our health is concerned; it is indeed very helpful to have an insight to hereditary diseases carried or introduced by our ancestors. With the current advances in medical technology, scientists are slowly discovering that there are spcific genes or cells that will identify particular diseases. Stem cell research is still in it's infancy, but in time, the hope is that, cures will be found.
Through my several years of research, collecting family death certificates, I have been able to trace some of the many serious health problems to specific family lines. When we visit our doctor's and they ask us for our family medical history, we do the best we can, providing what we have been told verbally. However; if we can be more detailed, and specific in that information, it can only benefit us and the next generations that follow.

Be My Valentine?

Today is Valentine's Day. Was love in the air for you, or did it leave you gasping for breath while you read through an old love letter or two that was discovered in your grandmother's personal belongings? I have yet to discover such a precious item as that; but back in those days, as tough as the times were for some couples, they still found time for good old fashioned romance. Words like spooning, courting, beaus, and chastity come to mind. Love letters were written, and emotions and hearts were pure and true. There was a love song that used to play on the radio called "Sealed with a Kiss". When a young girl or woman wrote a love note to her beau, she would literally seal it with a kiss. She would put on her favorite color of lipstick, and gently press the page to her lips. Some would even lightly spritz a bit of her perfume on it as well. The idea of romance is a lost artform, that is fading faster than time itself. Today's generation could definitely use a course or two on the subject; if one was given. I am making a solemn promise to myself, beginning tonight, I intend to re-discover the lost art of writing love letters.