Why Study Your Genealogy?

You never met them, but without them youtimes detailed the cause of death. Knowing the
wouldn't be here. They're your ancestors; thosecause of death of your ancestors can help you
long-forgotten people whose lives were somake decisions about your health today. If there
different, yet so similar, to yours today.is a preponderance of certain cancers in your
Why study these people who are long gone andfamily's past, you might want to be more mindful
buried? Well, think about it. If just one of theof your eating or smoking habits. Perhaps this
thousands of your direct ancestors didn't exist,knowledge would compel you to participate in
you wouldn't either. If yourgenetic testing.
great-great-great-great-great-grandmother neverHow do you get started in genealogy research?
met yourLuckily there are numerous avenues on which to
great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, yourbegin. If your community has a genealogy library
significant other would never have met youor association, you could start by joining a group
because, well, you wouldn't be alive.or visiting their offices. Often times genealogy
Besides honoring the significance of yourassociations have numerous research materials to
ancestors, studying your family's genealogy canaid in your search. Southern California has an
just be plain fascinating. There are so many thingsexcellent genealogy group, the Southern California
you can learn, such as why you or your parentsGenealogical Society, located in Burbank
grew up on one location or another. For example,(818-843-7247). You can visit their library, as well
if one of your ancestors was a Hessian soldieras attend the yearly "Genealogy Jamboree"
used by the British to fight the Americansponsored by them. In fact, if you go to your
colonists, you might find some relatives living infavorite search engine and put in "genealogy
Pennsylvania, which had a large population ofjamboree" you'll find other genealogy jamborees
German-Americans, many of them Hessianlocated around the country. The Jamborees are
soldiers who deserted the British and later foughtgreat because you can discover different
for the Americans. Many of their descendantsgenealogy groups in your area, as well as
later moved to Ohio.purchase the latest genealogy publications and
You can also learn why certain first names pop upsoftware.
in your family tree or even your family's originalThe internet, of course, is also a place where
surname before it was Americanized. Manygenealogy enthusiasts can find a treasure trove
names were not easy to pronounce byof information, either through access to research
immigration officials, who changed surnames onmaterials, or through connecting with distant
documents as immigrants were processed. Findingrelatives through genealogy forums.
your true surname can also be a clue as to yourAncestry DNA is also a tool which can help the
ancestors' occupations, as many surnames werebudding genealogist. Ancestry DNA, or genetic
taken according to the person's livelihood, such asgenealogy, is simply discovering your ancestor's
Tanner, Baker, etc.origins by testing your DNA, which is performed
Learning about your family's genealogy can alsowith a cotton swab inside your cheek. With these
aid in learning about medical conditions which maytests you can discover what part of Africa from
be passed on genetically. Did your ancestors havewhich your ancestors originated; what Irish clan
heart conditions? Were they prone to cancer?your ancestors belonged to; if you have any
Was there a large incidence of auto-immuneNative American ancestry.
disorders in your distant past? How can you learnOnce you get started with genealogy research
about medical conditions of those long past?you will get hooked. Not only will you be able to
Sometimes stories are passed throughdiscover things about your ancestors, but you
generations, but, in the absence of that, you canmay find you can discover more about yourself
research death notices in old papers, which oftenas well.