Genealogy or Family History

Although the terms genealogy and family history (mostly used in the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints culture) both relate to connecting descendants to ancestors and visa versa, they also have a subtle difference.

Genealogy vs Family History

Genealogy according to dictionary.com is "a record or account of the ancestry and descent of a person, family or group".  The focus is on the "record".  It is about the paper trail.  What do the sources, documents, data say about your ancestor (the date of birth, the date of death, the date they were married, etc.) and who they were related to.

Family History can be familiar to those who have had to fill out a form at the doctor's office noting any history of family members with particular medical problems.  Although that could be interesting to find out, family history is a little more than that.  Family history is the "stuff" of a family or person.  What was the ancestor like?  What types of tragedies did they face?  What was their family like?  What was their occupation?  What was going on in the world or the country during their time period and how might it have affected them.  

I like the way someone once defined it to me: "Genealogy links charts.  Family history links hearts."  

You need genealogy in order to get the facts right.  You need to make sure that the "John Smith" listed is the "John Smith" related to you.  The paper trail is important in keeping the history organized and easy to manage.  Geneology is the starting point or the framework.  Next comes the family history.  Family history is the bloodline or the "cream of the crop".  Geneology is about dates, names, places, and facts.  Family History is about stories, histories, personalities, and discovery.  

Vital records (as an example) can give us birth and death dates and the names of the parents or spouses.  However there may also be some family history that can be pulled from it.  For example on a death certificate it will tell the cause of death.  On my mother's death certificate it shows that she died from heart and lung failure.  It also said that it was due to complications from COPD.  What can this tell me about her history?  COPD is chronic.  Those who suffer from COPD had other complications with the lungs while growing up.  It can tell you that she was most likely on oxygen in order to help her breathe which would affect her lifestyle.  This can lead to questions of what was her lifestyle like growing up?  What kind of life did she live before she died?  These types of questions will connect you to your ancestor.  Without the genealogy you would not have a starting point to go on.  But family history pieces it all together like a puzzle.  Family history fills in the blanks.

Genealogy: It's About Family

WHY THIS BLOG?

I have been researching, collaborating, and learning about my ancestors for over 10 years now.  I am amazed at how quickly the desire to learn where we come from is spreading and more and more people around the world are wondering "Who was my Great-Great Grandfather?"  "Where does he fit in the history of my county or the history of the world?"  Some may think "How do I fit in my family tree?"  "Do I have anything in common with my great-grandmother?"  and so forth.  The questions are endless.  Are you that someone?  Are you wondering where you come from?  Are you feeling the itch, the desire, the pull to learn more about who you are and where you come from?  Do you find yourself watching the show "Who Do You Think You Are?" and wish that you can find interesting stories like the celebrities on the show do?  

Genealogy: It's About Family.  So why do I say that Genealogy is about family and what do I mean by family?  As time goes on and the dynamics of family relationships continue to change and shift in societies, the definition of family naturally changes as well.  100 years ago it was normal for family to mean father, mother, child, grandma, grandpa and cousins.  Now adays, family is "those who love you" whether they be friends, boyfriends or girlfriends.  Family is now not just mother and father, but sometimes father and father, or mother and mother.  That is the way society is moving towards.  This blog is not to get into what beliefs or morals say about what family is.  What family is to this blog is how family relates to genealogy.  How do we connect to our roots?  This does not include, for instance, the "adopted families" of friends and neighbors who have come to our aide acting as mothers, fathers, or grandparents when such were not available.  (I have some of those in fact).  A genealogical family is about connecting child to mother and father and brothers with sisters (and visa versa).  A genealogy family is connected through birth and sometimes even through legal adoption.  This is the family I talk about in my title.

How have you connected to your genealogical family lately?  Have you felt a desire to learn more about them?  I hope that this blog will help fuel that desire and bring that desire to fruition as you learn to start genealogy, learn helpful hints and tips, discover your own family history, and continue on that journey to connect with those who have passed on before you.  Your ancestors have a story to tell and they want you to learn about them.