When We Are Gone .....

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:41 pm

Reading other threads re the cost of this hobby and the filing, or lack of filing systems, got me thinking

Have any of you thought about what will happen to all the work you have done when you, in turn, become just a birth, marriage and death cert

Have any of us made any plans

Jean

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:37 pm

And if you haven't, then just what would happen to the results of all those 100s, maybe even 1,000s of hours of research were you to have an unfortunate encounter tomorrow with a Corporation Bus ?

k ... 8-[ ....

David

And It Makes Me Shine · Post by **And It Makes Me Shine** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:40 pm

I started this when my mother died at Christmas and realised that a) I knew nothing about my family, and how I wished I spent more time talking to her and finding out more about my mothers family and her early years and b) If anythinh happened to me then my children would be left with no idea of what and where they're dad had came from. I know they have no interest just now and for many years to come but it is there for them and growing all the time. One day they will ask the question and hopefully I will be here to answer but if not the answers will be there. I have noticed as well that when I take photos now I include myself and my wife in more of them. Why, because when I look at old photos from my childhood, parents were not usually in them as they were usually taking them and I look at them now and wish they were in more.

mallog · Post by **mallog** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:12 pm

I have told my children not to destroy any of it even if they are not interested at the time. They can either keep it in a box (or two !) or donate it somewhere.
Mallog

Davie · Post by **Davie** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:06 pm

It is such a shame, that so many of the younger generation, do not “tak tent”, on their family history.
I can never see any of my own five, aged between 28 and 38 ever being interested in my researches.
Then again, I was well into my forties, and retired, before I got the bug.
Perhaps the Grandkids might get intae it.
Who knows?
At least, us punters oan TS have given them a great start.

It is my books I am more worried about.
None of my kids have any interest in them either.
I have a fairly large collection,
Full sets of RLS, Scott, Wilson, Smollet, Cocker etc.
Not counting my own Covenanter tomes and histories of the Kirk in Scotland.
It is a bad day when yer books ur worth mer than yer hoose.
Or so my Daughter tells me.

Davie

Cathy · Post by **Cathy** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:04 pm

I've told my kids, when I "kick the bucket" (where did that saying come from?) my collection is to be "gifted" to the Mitchell. Do you think the Library would be interested?

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:41 pm

Cathy wrote:I've told my kids, when I "kick the bucket" (where did that saying come from?) my collection is to be "gifted" to the Mitchell. Do you think the Library would be interested?

Hi Cathy

See http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-kic1.htm and http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/218800.html and
http://www.wordorigins.org/wordork.htm .

David

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:41 pm

Hi All

This is a very good question. Most people don't get interested in genealogy until they get older. I cringe when I think of the things that I could have collected when I was younger. My aunt had letters from her father, (my grandfather), and even a picture of him, not to mention a lot of other old pictures. When she died, I told her daughter-in-law that I wasn't interested in any of her things.

As for myself, when I left Montreal, I threw out a lot of old letters, and loose photographs, that my mother had. Luckily I did have the sense to keep some, and some pictures in albums.

As late as 1993, in another move I lost a whole album of old pictures. This time it was an accident. I didn't take a buffet with me, forgetting that I had stored an album in it. I recovered a few of the pictures, from my sister who had copies, but most of those pictures are gone forever.

There is a chance that when you are gone, someone will accidentally or purposely throw out what they think is all this old stuff, of no intrinsic value.

If I were to start a business, I would start one where people could keep their treasures safe, for possible future interested generations to examine.

Post by **HeatherH** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:47 pm

I'm in luck as the next generation is already to take over when the time comes.My Daughter Megan has already made quite a few contributions to our family tree starting back when she was 13.She will soon celebrate her 18th B'day and is still as interested as ever.
Happy Hunting,
HeatherH

mallog · Post by **mallog** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:40 pm

Cathy wrote:I've told my kids, when I "kick the bucket" (where did that saying come from?) my collection is to be "gifted" to the Mitchell. Do you think the Library would be interested?

Maybe we could ask for some kind of entry on DC - "gifted to the Mitchell"

Sheila Losing those photos must have been tragic for you. I always said in the event of a fire I would only care about precious photos (apart from family of course!) but now I have all this family history stuff. I'll just have to heave the filing cabinet out the window

Mallog