Why Learning Your Family’s Story Matters

by Miryelle Resek

For many of us, the thrill of researching our ancestors comes from learning about their stories. Glimpses of what their everyday life looked like, the challenges they overcame, and the hopes and dreams they worked toward add color to otherwise black and white memories.

For RootsTech attendee Dr. Bruce Durie, family history is important because it’s what connects all of us to a greater whole. Genealogists learn more than just about kings and queens while researching; they learn what happened to individuals—“the stuff of history.”

During the 2016 RootsTech conference, we asked many of our attendees how learning their family history enhanced their lives. Take a look at some of their responses.

Amber Larsen

Amber Larsen discovered that one of her ancestors was an amazing swimmer—but it didn’t end there. She learned about a time when he saved a person’s life with his swimming ability while he was journeying to the United States.

Allison Kimball

Allison Kimball talks about the connection her adopted son has with her deceased grandfather because they both had a learning disability.

Angela Walton-Raji

Angela Walton-Raji adored her great-grandmother but never knew that “Nana” had been a slave until she thoroughly researched an unusual document in the family Bible.

Many RootsTech attendees expressed what they are doing to document their own stories for future generations. Take a look.

Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill tells of the types of stories he enjoyed hearing while growing up and his plans to continue the tradition of documenting trials and the lessons learned.

Carissa Rasmussen

Carissa Rasmussen explains that many of us may already be doing family history without realizing it as we take family photos and print them.

Mike Leavitt

Mike Leavitt explains how writing personal histories can be done just for ourselves but how sharing our histories with family members may impact them more than we know.