Need Them

Never underestimate those moments when the Dark Knight himself comes to ask for help. Mostly because he never asks for help. He demands. 

Anyways...

Yesterday was one of those excellent minor holidays that deserves a lot more attention. 

In my family there are three girls. We are an all sister household. Later in life we have added an "alter child" and a bff turned brother. 

Often when we are working on family history, we are most concerned with our direct line. Who were my grandfather's parents? Who was his father's father? 

For anyone who knows how babies are made, there are only two people that contribute. Sorry if that was a spoiler for anyone taking biology or sex ed this year in school. 

However, we need to also be concerned with siblings. When I began this journey into the roots of my family tree, there was nothing formally or digitally recorded for my mom's side of the family. For my dad's side, it would appear that he was a product of twelve generations of only children having only children. 

Except, no. 

My dad has five siblings. My mom has three. 

Now, some people genuinely are only children. Cool! But for the most part, that is going to be rare. My dad's family has German and Prussian roots. Yeah. Finding an only child in those branches will be unusual. 

As I work on my family history, I can't imagine excluding my sisters. 

I am not meant to be solo. 

As I learn about my ancestors, I know that their families and siblings shaped them into the people they became which would effect who they were, how they raised their children, and the habits and traditions that were passed down to me. 

What would we be without our siblings?

I am positive that I would be a very different person without my sisters. 

As we work on our family trees, it may become frustrating to find that one missing kid. 

Keep at it! Don't give up! You aren't searching for a name and a handful of numbers, you are looking for a person. A real person who matters. 

I love using that phrase with family history.

Each and every member contributes to the family dynamic.  We all create it together!  And THAT my friends is why we can't forget anyone.  It would be like leaving out an ingredient in a recipe - without it, the recipe wouldn't taste right.  Without that missing person, the family just won't be right.

This picture is my lovely mom, the baby is my middle sister, I am the dynamic redhead and my perfect water baby completes the photo (man, did I love that doll). This was taken in my Nana's kitchen in New Hampshire. I can't imagine my childhood without my little sister. 

Here is all three of us girls with my dad on his birthday (my mom is the photographer). We are an awesome family!

On my family tree I have included my sisters. 

But what about the other siblings? I mentioned that my dad has five siblings...what about their kids? I need them! My mom has three siblings who have kids! I need them too! 

What would life be without my cousins? Could I even pretend my family tree is accurate without them all on there?

No. Nope. Not even. 

My father's siblings helped shape who he became. The details of his life are vital to understand who he is, which effected the decisions he has made. My mom was a navy kid with three siblings and that has made an impact on our family. 

All of these cousin pictures are a few years old. Some even older than a "few years." Our family dynamic has changed now. My parents had three kids but now have five. Those two extra people are important to us! My middle sister got married a few years ago and her husband is an important member of our family.

We are a silly bunch ;)

So how accurate would it be for my distant and future great-great-granddaughter to leave my siblings off of my family tree? It wouldn't reflect who we are, or who we are becoming. 

Celebrate Sisters Day, even if it is a day late. Find those siblings on your tree - they are vital to clearly seeing your family's past and in discovering more about yourself. 

Sometimes in order to go forward, we have to look back. Look to your past and your family tree. They need to be found and you need to find. 

Happy Hunting! 

Lots of Love from the Heritage Huntress and Bat Family!

Every 4th Grader Knows

When asked to think back on elementary school memories, most of my classmates will tell you the same thing...

Oregon Trail! We lived for this game, and our teachers knew it. If we finished our multiplication worksheets on time we might get some Oregon Trail time in the computer room. 
If you moved your clip up to purple three weeks in a row- 15 minutes of Oregon Trail time!

For those who don't know what this game is, it's a computer game in which you care for a family and help them to cross the United States on the Oregon Trail. 
If they were hungry you needed to hunt bison for your family. If they were cold you need to trade some of your supplies or bison meant in for goods. 

It was fun but also had its stressful moments...

Oh my gosh. We felt personally responsible when one of the kids got sick. What was an 8 year old supposed to do for Jennifer?? 
We'd debate on the playground and all suggestions of "take her to the doctor" or "what about getting medicine at Sav-On?" were fruitless. We were stuck in the past and all we could hope was that Jennifer would make it out okay. 

Who remembers this moment of panic?

Dysentery. 
We didn't even know what it was but I didn't know anyone who had cured their little digital family of it. 

But then the screen that brought it all crashing down.

It was traumatizing. 

We'd killed a family! What had gone wrong? It tore us up. More than one 4th grader was reduced to tears that fateful year. 
Until we learned about the start over button. 
Then it was all sunshine and smiles until another fictional family member got sick or we hit a digital blizzard. 

What was the point of this game? Why did our teachers have us play this potentially terrible game?
I repeat, I never knew anyone who beat this game. There was a rumor of Tyler H. in Mrs. Nygen's class having beaten the game but it ended up being playground scuttlebutt. 

This game was hard. Really hard. And that's only a fraction of what the actual pioneers went through. We were 8 and 9 years old sitting in padded chairs in a computer lab on a safe campus and might be vaguely uncomfortable if the AC was too high. The digital hardships we were being shown in front of us were only pieces of what the people who crossed the American plains went through. Our game didn't include many of the problems that Adult Me is now very aware of. 

I am sorry to all the Jennifers and Nicoles and William Jr.s we inadvertently killed in pursuit of winning that game. And I am endlessly grateful to the people who walked the 2000+ miles to build a new home for themselves. 

These days we live in an incredible time of paved roads. Even for those who live in small towns and country settings where the roads are dirt, they are also well worn and beaten in. 
If I want to trail across states to see family I don't have to cut my own path. 

I can use the Maps App on my phone and just go. My only guesswork includes where to stop for food or a restroom and even then my phone has me covered. 

I cannot even imagine the courage it took to look out over the open plains, and fields and think "Yep- here we go!"

Thank you fearless pioneers, and thank you to the ones who were afraid and pressed forward anyways. 

While I specifically am I thankful to the pioneers who crossed the plains (or the Mid-West) to come to the western portion of the United States it's important that we acknowledge a few things. First, the United States is not the only country to have had pioneers. They might not have all traveled in covered wagons but many countries and cultures owe homage to their pioneers that came before them. A few of these other countries and cultures include: Greece, Rome, England, Australia, South America, and Canada. 
Second, even if you do not have lineage of pioneers in your family you are still benefiting from their sacrifices. 

I have actual pioneers in my heritage on my father's side. They traveled across the plains and came from the East Coast of the United States to places like Utah and California. As someone who lives in and loves California, thank you twice. 
On my mother's side I have pioneers who came across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in Virginia a century before any thoughts of a Revolutionary War were being bounced around. They were truly some of the original settlers of the United States. 

Did you know that (yesterday) July 24th is Pioneer Day in the United States? Because it fell on a Sunday maybe places (like Utah and Idaho) are enjoying celebrations today. 

Not all of us will walk across the plains or build a home from the supplies around us and a box of nails we brought a thousand miles with us, but in many ways we can still be like the pioneers and honor that pioneering spirit. 

An LDS Children's song captures this idea perfectly:
To Be a Pioneer
"You don't have to push a handcart,
Leave your family dear, 
Or walk a thousand miles or more
To be a pioneer!

"You do need to have great courage,
Faith to conquer fear,
And work with might for a cause that's right
To be a pioneer!"

Let's take a look at the original definition and etymology of the word and title "pioneer." 
My favorite dictionary for word etymology is: 

American Heritage is a great dictionary and I highly recommend owning a copy. 

The word "pioneer" comes from Old French is originally "peonier" and meant foot soldier which borrowed ped from Latin meaning foot. 
The definition is: One who ventures into unknown or unclaimed territory to settle. An innovator, especially, in research and development. 

Essentially a pioneer is someone who creates a new path. This is a person who ventures forward. 

That is terrifying. 

That is a lot of responsibility, but in many ways aren't we doing exactly that as we search for our ancestors? We are carving out a new path to rediscover the past. These are real people who lived, and loved and who we need to find. Perhaps some of them traversed the open plains across the United States, and others may have upheld the traditions of their family, settling in their homes, and raising families. 
Just as we are not isolated humans who live solitary lives neither were our ancestors. 

They impacted the people around them. 

Today, in particular, I say Thank You Pioneers! Whether they were children, adults, or those who demonstrated quiet courage in helping those around them, we all are in your debt for your courage and strength. They are the people who made the difficult decisions with the future in mind. 

May we endeavor to be like them. May we honor them with our own decisions. 

Have a wonderful day Hunters! 

Be My Best Bro

Dude.
Will you be my best bro?

While it seems like the role of Best Man is pretty much limited this title actually has some weighty historical significance. 

Now, to be honest, historically it was rare that the best man had to keep the bride from bolting and it was far more likely that he was there to protect her or simply be there for tradition.

In today's weddings the best man stands next to the groom. However, this is a recent development and break from tradition. Historically the best man stood next to the bride during the ceremony for her safety. The best man's main jobs were to protect the bride should another suitor present himself to disrupt the wedding or if the bride's family should contest the match. 

In Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet their romance is shrouded in secrecy. And for good reason- they were living in the middle of gang warfare! So with all this secrecy and cloak and dagger action why in the world would they have other people at their wedding? Wouldn't it make more sense to have just Romeo & Juliet and Father Lawrence at their wedding?? 

Well, there was a reason that Balthasar and the Nurse were present. Not only was it tradition for there to be a Best Man and a maid for the bride but both were actually performing a vital role. 

If necessary the Best Man would duel for the honor of the bride and groom, and in the case of Romeo & Juliet having him there is actually a bit of comfort. 

An article from Mental Floss explains: "Given the likelihood that the bride's family would attempt to retrieve her from her groom or get revenge—or that another suitor would try to take her, or she might try to escape—the best man stood right next to her at the wedding, at the ready with his weapon. Later, he was moved to the groom's right side (possibly due to jealousy on the part of the groom). After the ceremony he stood guard outside the newlyweds' bedroom or home."

Let's take this ancient concept and see how it fits into a more modern notion.

Theses are the groomsmen and bridesmaids of my parents' wedding.
I know what you're thinking.
Nothing can top the excellence of an 80's wedding.

This above picture is of my dad and his Best Man. Now traditionally Mr. Best Man should have been armed and possibly been the only armed person at the ceremony. Let's take a look at what kind of weapons may have been carried.

My source for this information comes from "Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor"- this is one of my favorite resources for historical weaponry. 

Here are some examples of the kinds of swords and sabers that could have been carried. 

Now, other than luxuriating over these amazing wedding photos from September 1986, how does this connect to our family history? 

If the information is available to you, you may want to look further into weddings of ancestors past. The role of Best Man is one that is a time honored tradition and one that bore a large role. Today we think of the Maid of Honor as having a large amount of responsibility, but a bride having an entourage of her own is a new concept. It is the Best Man on whom the wedding relies. 

Thank goodness for the Best Man!

When we work on our family history we are searching in pairs. Each ancestor came from two parents, but do we stop to consider that our family tree is composed of love stories? In each pairing there is a story, and in many of those pairs there was a Best Man off to the side ready with his sword, saber, and later a musket or rifle to defend a couple's right to marry and love. 

These days a couple becoming engaged is the beginning of endless planning that includes selecting a venue, making a guest list, designing invitations, arranging photographers, completing county paperwork - and the list goes on. In addition to the many wedding rituals that have been added over time it is fascinating to know that there are some aspects of a wedding that have continued over time and make them a true tradition.   

It's a beautiful thing to pause and think on the traditions layered into weddings and how they have been going on so long that when your best friend stands beside you in your wedding you can know that the same gesture was performed for ancestors far before you. 

There is an ancient weight to the action. 

Likewise in choosing a Best Man there is a sense of trust being placed in this person that stretches back hundreds of years but also think on the honor that is being bestowed when you fulfill the responsibility of Best Man for another. 

But please ask you groom (and bride) whether carrying a weapon is really proper for the mood they are attempting to strike. 

Look into your family history and see what incredible weaponized wedding details you can dig up.

Happy Hunting!

Gotta Catch 'Em All

Pokémon Go! PokéStops! Eggs! Revivals! 

It's all coming back like a junior high blur! 

Pokémon Go is the app sensation that is sweeping through the world. The countries that have this game are seeing statistics and numbers that are breaking records. The countries that are still waiting for the game to be released are eager and anxious to begin their own hunt for Pikachu's and Cubones! 

This game is getting people outside, walking, talking, and interacting more than any other craze. 

But today also begins something very important- it's World Indexing Day! 

We've talking about indexing here on Heritage Huntress before but World Indexing Weekend is important for several reasons. With the massive amounts of names that are indexed (or transcribed as history.com calls it) sites like Family Search and Ancestry are able to keep the work of family history moving forward as well as maintain their ties to one another. 

So, can indexing and Pokémon Go work together?

Absolutely!

Currently there is no app for indexing on phones- it needs to be done on computers, or laptops. Which is perfect because Pokémon Go is only on phones. 

This means that both devices can be working at the same time. 

This weekend get together with some other Pokémon and Heritage Hunters to work together on both. 

As you all sit together to index, set out some Pokémon lures and let them come to you. Have everyone set an incense and just wait and see what happens!

But guess what...indexing can be hard! It's tough to sit for hours in front of a computer or laptop and suss out the crazy handwriting of years past. Taking a break is a great opportunity to hit up your local PokéStop and maybe hatch an egg or two. 

It's already tough to pry our phones from our hands between texting and all of our social media sites. Now with Pokémon Go it feels even harder to set down our phones when there's a Geodude only two paw prints away! With indexing you don't have to chose. 

These two activities use completely different devices and let you do both simultaneously. 

And as an added benefit you'll be surrounded by friends who can assist in coming up with new and puny names for your Pokémon! 

To index or to Pokémon? That need not be a question!

Do both!! 

This weekend had an absolute Blast(oise) and catch em all- indexing names and Pokemon!

Happy Indexing Trainers and Hunters!