You may have heard of genealogy, but do you know what it is, and why we do it? According to Oxford languages, genealogy is the “line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor”. It is commonly used to describe the discovery of facts about one’s ancestor. These could include, but are not limited to, straightforward elements like birth dates, marriages, occupations, and death dates.
The main reasons why people do genealogy are to build a sense of family and understand yourself. If we can build a sense of family, know who we are, and understand ourselves, we will generally happier lives, filled with joy, and knowing that we are of genealogical ancestry, and descent. Additionally, some people do genealogy, because of intellectual pursuit, or the puzzle part of it. Whatever motivates you, I urge you to begin your genealogical pursuit of information, knowledge, and understanding of your ancestor’s lives.