Page 12 - To Dragma May 1934

20 To DRAG
9 e n e a logy
rings
d venture
By
PAULINE
BURKITT
REYNOLDS
Zeta
APROMINENT sister of Alpha Omicron Pi said to me at our recent
convention, in Colorado, "Pauline, one reason why 1 like you j | to you for it.
because you have a hobby, and women having hobbies are sel^j
dom petty." I succumbed to Wilma's flattery, and promised to write
this article for To DRAGMA.
Genealogy appeals to so many people because of its large field on
adventure. You who like to travel can cover vast distances in search of
an illusive ancestor. I f you are blessed with money, you may have the
pleasure of visiting birthplaces, and obtaining from vital records your
information, studying very old volumes of records for the marriages and
death dates of relatives. However, it is the person of moderate circum-
stances who enjoys genealogy the most, for those who have money em-
ploy someone to complete their lines for them and hence lose the actual
glory of finding their authentic ancestors for themselves. So instead of
taking these lovely trips you will have to resort to correspondence. Let- sorority, its early struggles, members, and the first few chapters, at
ters to county and state officers, census bureaus, pension departments,
churches, libraries, and a score of other places where you may be able
JANUARY, 1032 21
to uncover a new ancestor. Even when you do not obtain the informa-
tion you desire, you find new friends and often, relatives.
You who like sports can have all the sport you care for in capturing
ancestral game.
For you who line mysteries, there are plots and clues in abundance.
You will have to use all your wits to find out who "Mary was." She
seems to be just Mary, wife of John Smith. Mary's name could just
as well have been written Mary Doe Smith, and how genealogists would
have appreciated knowing her name without endless searching for her
marriage record. Mary should not have lost her individuality by mar-
riage. A good idea is to occasionally use your maiden name in your sig-
nature. Five hundred years from now your descendants will be grateful
Genealogy has the greatest appeal to the historian. For it is not
only the recording of birth, marriage, and death dates, but it tells of
individual lives. The struggle for existence, customs, religion, and such
things constitute national history, and you will undoubtedly get many
a thrill over the part your people played in it. True you do not all trace
to the "Mayflower" or Jamestown Colonies, but you all have a family
tree, and it is just as much fun to climb, whether it traces to John Alden
or Henry Schultz. Just as important, whether the emigrant came in
1620, or 1920. No one will appreciate your family tree as much as you,
especially if you revive it yourself. The feeling that steals over you
might be likened to the thrill that came over all of the Alpha O's as we
listened to Mrs. Perry and Bess Wyman tell us of the foundings of our
their "Story Telling Hour" at Troutdale. I feel sure, that those of you
who have heard them will be anxious to take up genealogy for it will
renew that feeling.
As time goes on, fire and old age destroy many of our valuable
family records, in public buildings and private homes. Through their
joss your descendants may not be able to trace to you. So save your
lines by preserving these papers now. While not only enjoying doing
so, you will be compiling history for the future, and that certainly is
a noble cause.
The large old family Bible which belonged to most of your grand-
parents is fast disappearing; in it the family data were faithfully kept
and these records are taken as absolute proof by all historic organiza-
For you who would like to start a family record, I would suggest a
? r t as the easiest workable way. The following method: these
^ eets c a n ]-,e obtained already printed, but I prefer to make my own
history note book paper and keep them in a ring type note book
additions and corrections are much easier taken care of in this way.
sh « ^ "m n out this page, as charted on the following page, start
v ' 2 " by putting your great grandfather's name in the space in which
\ ? " ° P 8U t And s o continue.
Ur n a m e o n ae
Many genealogical magazines are anxious to print bible records,