Have you been watching the Olympics? I love the Olympics! I am not sure where my love for them came from but we always watched them when I was young, sometimes it was assigned as homework for PE class. My Dad was an athlete, football and track. My Mother, not so much.

So why do I bring this up? As I have been watching, it struck me as to how many athletes have parents and even grandparents that were Olympians as well. If not Olympians, they excelled in the same sports. This should not be a surprise. As a parent, I took my son to activities when I was coaching or participating or just enjoying the event. They grow up around it and then start to participate as well. It did, however, make me wonder how far this connection can go back and is it only because they grew up around it or is there more, you know the old nurture or nature question.  And is it more than athletics, I would think so?

What connections have you found in your history? Did your parents follow in the footsteps of their parents or grandparents? Was it a family business or a hobby that the family enjoyed? I mentioned in the last post that my grandmother was a gardener and that her grandfather was as well. Did he learn that trade or love of the hobby from his parents or grandparents?

All of this is part of the story our family history can tell. How do we research that part of the story? Where I have found my stories has been through the occupations people had as listed in census reports. I have also found them in newspaper articles, especially on society pages or in ads or in obituaries. I am always on the lookout for those that might have been educators or connected to education in some way. I haven’t found any confirmed connections that way yet. I must also suppose that some of the hobbies that I have were slightly different for earlier generations. For example, maybe it wasn’t photography but art that they were interested in. Maybe they were musicians and I just enjoy music. Lots of possibilities I suppose.

There is another side as well. Why did I become an athlete like my father but not a cook and home maker like my mother, much to her dismay? Did she have some interests that she was not able to participate in when she grew up? I know she was artistic and loved music. I know that her parents had a player piano that we inherited. My Dad’s family had a baby grand that we also inherited and that his mom played. She taught piano and played for dances and silent movies. Music was clearly in both families.

This part of our stories is not necessarily easy to find. Sometimes it seems we just happen upon it by accident. Some of you have shared that you have found old letters or books with notes inside them. What a treasure! Whatever it is you have found and wherever you found it, it can be full of family culture. I love this part of the family history story.

Maybe this can be your next focus question. What occupation did my 3x great grandfather have and why? Was there anything passed down that might indicate a hobby or vocation? Maybe something at the Midwest Genealogy Library (our next class) will help. Actually, the next 3 classes, Dutch Records, WikiTree, and Exploring the Community might help.

Heidi Geise, education@hqrl.com