I have a new obsession

Talking with a neighbor the other day at the pool I somehow got on the subject of my half-brother who was given up as an infant for adoption.  I think the “ladies who swim” were discussing family and the conversation evolved from there to include that I didn’t know my father or his family because he’d left around the time I was born.  She suggested I get on ancestry.com, and related that she’d had a lot of success tracing her family there.

Had I known the outcome I may not have … no, wait – that’s a lie.  If I had known I’d have jumped in long ago!  Researching genealogy is addictive y’all.  The second day I was on the site I’d given up on my dad for the moment and searched for family members I knew more about.  Almost 2 hours later I realized it was time to go home.  It’s insidious as it sucks you in deeper and deeper!

I found my grandma plus her mother and father and brother Philip (who I remember from when I was very young as a funny, plump bald man that I liked).  There were photos (duplicates of ones I already had) and birth and death records.  In addition, they were included on other family trees at the site, one of which I believed to be my cousin’s.  I knew C had worked on a family tree at ancestry.com so I presumed because the entries were all about our family that it would be her tree (the owner didn’t use their real name) and I contacted her through the site since I hadn’t received a response to an email I’d sent her a few days before.

It was not my cousin, but my former sister-in-law, who had added those members when my daughters went to her for research help because she was so experienced.  Can you say AWKWARD boys and girls?  Was I ever surprised!  Since she’s been doing genealogy research for 40+ years she knows her stuff and she graciously helped me track down my father with only his name, age and state of birth!  I now know about multiple relatives on my father’s side!  Grandparents, grand aunts and uncles, great grandparents.  There may even be an aunt and an uncle still living.  I even think I resemble one of the aunts a bit.  In addition, she steered me to a free research site that is sponsored (I think) by the Mormon church.  Since my father’s family came from Utah that seemed like a good resource; I’ll be checking it out one of these days.

Now I’m researching JD’s biological father, who left when JD was less than a year old.  Plus we’re looking up his step-dad, who married his mom and adopted JD and his two older siblings.  JD knows a lot of that family’s anecdotal history but it’s very cool to see it documented.  They immigrated from Russia and it’s fascinating to follow the progression.

I only have nine more days left of my trial membership so I will be researching every free moment.  My SIL says after I cancel the membership I can still view the trees but I won’t be able to search on my own.  She’s promised to send me any more information she finds.

And now I must close this and log back on.  Who knows what other lovely tidbits are waiting for me!