Come Join the Ranks

I have joined the army of Family History Indexers.  It is so fun.  I was a little hesitant about taking it on, wondering if I had enough computer savvy.  Desire is all well and good, but there are stumbling blocks that one must be able to navigate.  I didn’t want to be sunk before I started.

            I have liked historical stuff all my life, always wanting stories from my parents, grandparents.  Census records are one of my favorite parts of genealogical research.  Through them I have discovered that one of my greats was the captain of a boat, actually a barge I think, and his son was listed as his mate.  Another find was one who had started out learning the cabinet-making trade and 2 census records later (20 years) was in an elevated position in that company, making very good money and of high prestige.  One young lady at age 20 was a polisher of glass plates at a glass blowing establishment.   I keep finding more and more about those who came to chart my path to this earth and they become very real and dear to me.   I am not even counting the relatives I have found that I didn’t know existed.   I could go on, but this gives you who read this a glimpse of some of the fun I have poking around in old records.

            Some of my searching has recently been eased through the results of indexing and it makes me so excited that I want to shout from the housetops.  What I couldn’t find is now accessible!  One of my daughters is also an indexer and she showed me the process a couple of months ago and my first thought was, “I can do that.”  : ) I am not exactly a techie so I need encouragement to get over the mental can’t hurdle.

            I always had hoped my husband and I would go on a mission in our later years.  I now know that isn’t going to happen and my yearnings for such have calmed down.  Indexing can be my later years contribution and, in some small measure, help others as I have been helped through this marvelous program.