I am surprised/honored/humbled/pleased to be the recipient of the Ancestor Approved Award from my blogging friend Joan at http://rootsnleaves.blogspot.com/The Ancestor Approved Award asks that the recipient list ten things you have learned about any of your ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened you and pass the award along to ten other bloggers who you feel are doing their ancestors proud. Here are the 10 things I have learned from my ancestors.
1. Surprised to find a full younger sister of my fathers whom he apparently did not know about. She is still alive and lives in another state. I have since met her, her children, grandchildren and great/grandchildren. My only wish is that my dad would have lived long enough to meet her.
2. Humbled by the fact that my great-grandparents, Maria (Fietzek) and Phillipp Motzko gave up everything and everyone they knew and loved to move from their homeland (Poland) to make a new life in the United States.
3. Humbled to have a copy of a book, printed in the 1758, about Menno Simmons founder of the Mennoites
4. Humbled that one of my second cousins and two of my third cousins gave their lives for their country in World War 1 and World Word 2
5. Surprised at how much the internet has evolved during the years I have done ancestry work, making it easier all the time...plus providing newer and/or updated information daily
6. Intrigued by how times have changed...literally everyone married in my research dating back to 1750 to 1950....Today half don't marry, and a good percentage of those raise a single parent family.
7. Surprised at how well our ancestors got along with virtually nothing that we call essentials - no dishwashers, no indoor plumbing; no automobiles - the only mode of transportation was a one horse buggy for 10-12 people in the same family! Outhouses were used, laundry, dish and hand washing soap had to be all made by had. No TV and TV Dinner after a long hard days hauling hay!!
8. Surprised when I very recently (a couple days ago) found a 3rd cousin (his great grandmother was the sister of my great grandmother). He says he has lots of genealogy information and we will be sharing info in the weeks to come.
9. Surprised at how much stuff was tried to be passed on but no one seemed to want it....and it would get left behind or tossed out (even my brother/sister did this); surprised too that my children do not seem to want to carry on the story to future family after I'm gone.
10. Humbled that my niece with her four children have agreed to be the curator of the family pictures. and the unwind-er of the stories. I'm working hard at them so that she gets them in such condition they will last another hundred years.......thus making a job she will truly enjoy.
The last part of Ancestor Approves Award is to pass on this award to 10 deserving bloggers;
1. Patty at Bits of Yesterday
2. Rootdigger at A Rootdigger
3. Lisa at 100 Years in America
4. Tina at My Family History Data
5. Elizabeth at Little Bytes of Life
6. Sara Beth at Lessons From My Ancestors
7. Cheryl at Heritage Happens
8. Jenalee at Family Story Keeping
9. Bill at West in New England
10. Gini at Ginisology
Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2010, all rights reserved
