M's Side

I've taken a little break from researching my side of the family and have been looking into my husband M's side. I must say it's been fun and interesting to see what I've discovered so far. M is very much German/Prussian. Depending on the census year depends on whether his 2nd great-grandfather and grandmother came from Prussia or Germany. They arrived in 1868 and I'm assuming they came from the side of Prussia in modern day Germany. Another ancestor came for Germany, but the far western part, very near Luxembourg, Belgium, and France.

My favorite discover was when in the 1910 census his grandfather was listed as 2 months, his great-grandfather was listed as well as his great-great-grandfather. They were all living together and it made researching so much easier.

When my grandmother died she was buried in the family plot in Northwood, Iowa. In this family plot are memorial headstones for different family memories. I have been trying to figure out who was how and how they were all related. Some I've figured out very easily but others are leaving me a little stumped. For example, the headstones for Eifld and Aslak Myrland. My best guess is that Eifld is the father of Olena Eiledson Hove and maybe Aslak. Olena is the grandmother of my great grandmother. I'm not exactly sure but this is my best guess. I still have some research to do, but since they are Norwegian I'm a little lost as to were to go now. Olena was born in Norway and I don't speak Norwegian or let alone know where to go from here.

Why I Like Genealogy

I really enjoy genealogy, the study of my ancestors. Many people find this boring and like some relatives I know think "Who cares, they died." The reason I find genealogy so interesting is because the list of names and dates are more than just that. These names lived a life; there are stories that go with those names and dates. I remember listening to the stories that my grandmothers would tell me of their childhoods and growing up during the depression. I loved hearing what my grandparents and my parents were like as a child and the things they remember about their grandparents. My mother, at age 5, wanted to grow up to be big and tall like her grandma, who was only 4'11". It's these funny stories that I love about genealogy.

It's more than just the stories thought. "Your just like your mother/father" is the proverbial taunt that many people try to avoid. These traits have been handed down from one generation to the next until I see them in my child. As I watch Patrick, I'm already seeing certain traits that I can attribute to either myself or Michael. He is very stubborn at times or should I say determined. He likes to do things himself, especially eat when he was 8 months and now walk places by him self. These traits came from our ancestors; they are still a part of who we are even though they are long dead and many times forgotten.

And it is not just personality traits that are passed down. Patrick has my nose, which I got from my mother, and she got her nose from her father. My brother has been told he looks exactly like my father, who looks exactly like his father. I always wondered how far back this look alike thing went. The more research I do, the more relatives, distant cousins, I uncover or are put into contact with who have more information and even pictures. The past two years I've been able to meet up with two distant cousins from both sides of the family. It was fun to meet them and share stories and information. And even though they are distant relatives, I can see the family traits in them.