How well do you know your family history and how much do you know about your ancestors? Because families tend to be more scattered these days – divorce, unexpected tragedies, estrangement, adoption, cross country relocations, you name it – we’ve become more disconnected from our DNA pasts.
Few stay close to home anymore.
I had the good fortune of being mentored by my grandparents as well as my parents. They taught me important values that have stayed with me all of my life. I am a native Washingtonian and a descendant of The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of The District, which is one of the oldest civic organizations in the nation originally representing long-term D.C. residents. The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia is dedicated to the District’s history and heritage as well as promoting ideas to improve the future of Washington.
I suspect they still have a long way to go.
My paternal grandparents were Lt. Paul W. Proctor and Anne K. Mayhugh-Proctor. My grandfather was a Washington, D.C. native and a Metropolitan police lieutenant who ultimately transferred to The White House Police (Secret Service) in the 1920s – serving under several administrations including Hoover, FDR, and Truman. My grandmother was from “up home” in Greenwich, Virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My grandparents were an integral part of our lives early on and a safe harbor during tough times. They made us feel safe and loved.
My grandfather, Paul W. Proctor, in the 1920s with his whole life ahead of him.
I think it is important for kids to know and be raised by their grandparents. It is also important for each of us to know and understand family history for as far back as we can find it. The beauty of http://www.ancestry.com and other websites like it is for baby boomers to get to know their ancestors and where they come from. I’ve been able to trace my family history as far back as the 1600s and Salem, Massachusetts where one ancestor, John Proctor, was hanged for suspicion of witchcraft. Another one of my ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence for the State of Delaware. You just never know who you’ll find tracking the generations.
Anne K. Proctor – my paternal grandmother.
I know my family history because the “old folks” liked chatting about the past, their youths, and those who brought them up. I knew my grandparents, yet never knew my great grandparents. People didn’t live as long at the cusp of the 20th Century due to disease and different forms of exposure that made them vulnerable.
My fraternal grandfather, as one example, was killed at age 30 in an industrial accident in his native Philadelphia. He never lived to see his grandchildren let alone The Great Depression. My fraternal grandmother, Pearl E. Kuhn, was left to care for her four children alone. In those days, employers didn’t feel a responsibility to those harmed and killed on the job with families left behind to fend for themselves. Thank goodness for labor laws that have made employers more accountable.
My paternal grandparents, my sister Cathy, cousin Steve, and me (far right) in 1963 in their Arlington, Virginia apartment. They watched after us and made us feel safe. The relationships kids share with their grandparents is critical to their development and knowledge of family history. They bring so much to the family.
As we all pass into the latter of our lives, it is a good idea to get in touch with our family histories and these ancestorial websites are a good place to start. Get online and see what kind of treasures and terrific stories you can find.
Boomer Journey... 