One of my favorite past times as a child was to travel with my mother and grandmother to visit aunts, uncles and cousins. My grandmother and mother both come from large families so family reunions were large. I always enjoyed hearing the stories about fishing, hunting, sports, school and other family stories.
During these family events, there were a lot stories about our elders. Many of the people discussed were gone. They had made their journey to the other side. My mom's family are Native American and have a rich history of settling the west, walking the Trail of Tears, and greeting the Mormons (my dad's family) in the Utah Territory.
While we visited, my mom would record stories and dates. She had files full of names, birth dates, death dates, pictures, stories. When the World Wide Web came on scene, she was able to collect more information. This is when I joined her quest to find family names. My mom asked me to start entering data into electronic programs. I started copying pictures and entering information on the LDS website: FamilySearch.org.
One of our most memorable genealogy trips was when we went to Tallequah, Oklahoma for a reunion with my grandpa's family. Our grandfather, Soldier Sixkiller and his wife and son were being honored by the Trail of Tears Association. TOTA was marking each grave with a special bronze plaque for those that survived the Trail of Tears. At this special even, my mom was given the opportunity to read Soldier's life history. Our dear cousin, read his wife's history.
If someone were to ask me why genealogy is important is so that you understand your culture and where you come from. It isn't just about dates, it's about the stories and family connections.
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