Tracing My Family Tree
I have been tracing my family tree. If you have not ever done this, let me tell you it is very time consuming. I could be online for hours just researching names. It is a long drawn out process, but if you are lucky, one of your relatives will pop up and you will feel like you struck gold. The feeling of connecting with a loved one(though they have been gone for centuries) is a very rewarding experience.
My family roots are in Norway, Sweden, and Greece. Yes Marietta, I am only part Greek. But I identify most with that side of my family. Hence, Greekzoe. Searching in the Scandinavian countries, are such a joy. They kept records there unlike any other countries. I was able to locate two distant cousins and they helped me tremendously. I was able to trace back to 1590 and also found out that we are from nobility. That comes from our name which was Stålhandske. So I am told.
The picture above is my paternal grandmother's family when she was a little girl. She is the one in the lower middle. Taken in Norway, it was done around 1902. This is the earliest and only picture I have of her family. It needs to be restored. Someday I will have it done.
If you one day decide to trace your family history, keep in mind that it is a lot of work but the rewards are priceless.
posted by greekzoe at 6/01/2006 04:53:00 PM
13 Comments:
Hi Zoe,
As a historian this was a very fun post to read. I'd love to know more about my relatives, the generations before my grandparents, for one thing because the world was so different then. Alas, my grandparents and the people of that generation are no longer living so they cannot tell anything.
For your roots in Scandinavia...Church registers are among the sources, right?
Yes Maria, the church records are where I got most of my information. Funny though, I went to Vaxjo, Sweden where the emmigrant museum/research center is. And they said that I needed to get in touch with the Church of Latter Day Saints in Utah,USA.
I just thought it strange that they would have the records of Sweden churches. I don't believe they are even Swedish.
Zoe
Dear Zoe
What an amazing photo - ghosts from the past...
My mum did a family tree on her mother's side a few years ago & she told me how much work it was.
As a result, my parents are going to a reunion in Virginia this July.
Apparently I am only second generation Canadian on my maternal side - my grandma was born in Buffalo.
We have some kind of certificate in the family that was signed by Lincoln during the Civil War.
I think that is so neat - coming from the history buff in me...
What a great post!
Now you have me thinking...
Love
Dale
Hi Zoe, My brother did some tracing of the family tree a few years back ,and found some really interesting stuff. You got back as far as 1590 - that is amazing.! I love the old pictures from the late 1800's that surfaced of our family. That's as far back as we got, the 1800's. x Grace
Hi Zoe,
What a great thing to have that picture of your family. We have records going back about 200 years on both sides, but why certain ancestors left their homes to go so far away is a mystery on my dad's side.
Good luck in finding out about your family. It sounds exciting.
Cheers,
AM
Hi Zoe
Just a note to say thanks for joining in on the crazy fun on my blog.
We do get carried away at times, but it really is quite entertaining.
Sometimes it's difficult finding good ideas & comebacks, but it keeps our minds very active!
Your comment was perfect!!!
But alas, Keith has returned to whence he came...:(
XXX
Dale
Hi Zoe,
Have you taken a look at boywhoheardmusic.blogspot.com? I'd do so NOW if I was you ;)
Hi Zoe,
I've been wanting to research my family history. I've tried going on websites, but it's so hard to find one that doesn't charge you. Fortunately, my moms side of the family is going to have a real family reunion that doesn't take place at a wedding or a funeral.
If you want an easy way to restore that photo, all you need is a scanner and Adobe Photoshop. Although if you don't have photoshop, it would be cheaper to go to a photo restorer because photoshop is expensive.
I wish you good luck.
A Stålhandske? A Nobility? Then you are not a swede, you are a Finn!
The noble Stålhandske family is from Finland, then considered as East-Sweden, a part of Sweden. Check this link and look for Stålhandske:
http://www.turunseurakunnat.fi/portal/turun_tuomiokirkko/english/the_cathedral_speaks/the_17th_century/
The link got cut-off...?
http://www.turunseurakunnat.fi/portal/turun_tuomiokirkko/english/the_cathedral_speaks/the_17th_century/
Aargh...!
"http://www.turunseurakunnat.fi/portal/turun_tuomiokirkko/english/the_cathedral_speaks/the_17th_century/"
WTF..!!
How can I get the whole link in here???
http://www.turunseurakunnat.fi/port
al/turun_tuomiokirkko/english/the_c
athedral_speaks/the_17th_century/
Well... :)
You have to clear the spaces in between and put in in one piece :)
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