Collection of Genealogical Articles Written by Society Members For Weekly Publication in the Sun Herald Newspapers, 1998

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Wednesday, May 27,1998        Punta Gorda Herald Page 7	
Making a memory book for your descendants
By MARGARET PARKER
Correspondent	
Those of us who have spent countless hours researching and recording our family histo¬ ries often have a nagging fear that our work could be relegat¬ ed to a cardboard box in an attic when we make our exit from this world.
In order to assure that my lafboT of love would get passed on to my descendants, I decid¬ ed to make a book for each of our grandchildren, grandnieces and grandnephews. The first pages were mdividually pre¬ pared for each child. Page one was the title page (The comput¬ er program Print Shop makes it so professional looking!), and page two was a list of sur¬ names. Until you do genealogy, you have no idea how many different families have con¬ tributed to the genp pool of which you are made!! We all have four great-grandfathers, eight great-great-grandfathers, 16 great-great-great-grandfa¬ thers and of course an equal number of grandmothers who each add yet another family name.
To go back several genera¬ tions, it is not difficult to iden¬ tify 100 different surnames.
At the very beginning of my book, I enclosed a letter saying: "Genealogy has been a hobby of mine since I retired, and Vm happy to pass on to you ihe records that I have collected about some of your ancestors. Perhaps someday you will want to do more research on other families in your line. This book is just a starting point, and you can continue to add informa-
Genealogy
tion to fill in the blanks, if you ever have the interest
"You can be proud of your heritage, Kelly (but not out loud), for your ancestors were hardworking. God-fearing indi¬ viduals who played important roles in the Revolutionary War, the growth of the New England colonies and the development of our country. They suffered many hardships as they farmed the land and lived without all the conveniences that we have today. Some became well- known for their contributions, and many of them were well- educated for the times in which they lived. You are a very spe¬ cial member of our family, Kelly, and I know your ances¬ tors would all be proud of you, too.
••With love, from Grandma" Each page is encased in clear sheet protectors, thus making them seem like impor¬ tant documents! Pedigree sheets, starting with that cMld's name, and family group sheets make up the booklet.  I found
. that old photos can be beauti¬ fully reproduced today on pro¬ fessional copiers for a reason¬ able fee, and I included pic¬ tures as often as I could, going back to my great-grandparents. Newspaper clippings of wed¬ dings, deaths, special family events and funily homes help to tell a story of our ancestors, going back in each line to the first ancestor in America.
Now I know that if and when any of my grandchildren have an interest in their roots, they will have all my records as a starting point, and if some of my records end up in cardboard boxes, all will not have been lost!
Margaret Parker is a mem¬ ber of the Charlotte County Genealogical Society, serving in the capacity of historian.
^The CCGS meets the 3ra Wednesday of each month
. except for July and August, a)
the United Methodist Churcli
Quesada and Viscaya, Pon
Charlotte at 2 p.m, .
Nonmembers are^welcome. \
)