Paperdoll Ancestry with LisaSeptember 2020
To prepare for ancestry research, let's pause to explore motivation and commitment. I share some of my own reasons with the questions. These questions are included with my initial consultation form.
Why do you want to learn about your ancestry?Maternal Grandparents
I have multiple motivations for each of my four family lines. The lineage of my grandparents. I look at the ancestral lines of my four grandparents. My maternal grandparents' ancestry are both in Virginia, Maryland, Pittsburgh and New York City. I will give examples of my ancestry questions from my relationship with maternal grandparents.
Maternal Grandfather
A big part of my commitment comes from sharing my interest in my ancestry with my maternal grandfather. While at Howard University, freshman year, we wrote letters to each other which I still have. In my letters, I would ask him about his family history and share that while in DC I would research about them. His responses were very encouraging and stick with me to this day. He also shared that his father lived in Maryland and was a preacher, although I never met him.
â My relationship with my Pop Pop is the glue to my spiritual life and why I am a Baptist. Growing up, I went to church with him. I fondly remember how he always carried his bible. He and my grandmother met in church. â For Pop Pop: My ancestry research question is: Who was (insert name and relationship) his father? What was his life story? (what are his birth and death dates? And the story in between.) Maternal Grandmother
Growing up, whenever I asked my maternal grandmother about where she was from she would say, âVirginia, Richmondâ. Sometimes I would wonder about her light complexion, hazel eyes and straight textured hair. I would ask, what are you, Grandma? I also wanted to know because school and playmates would ask me. That always boggled me because I never saw a white woman when I saw her or felt her essence as a white person. She would answer, âI am Blackâ. I would say, âI know Ma but what else? Why is your skin so light?â She would move her lips close mouthed, pondering. âLisa, I am Irish and Germanâ. Ten year old me would roll around the floor laughing. âMa?! How are you Irish and Germanâ. She would say, I donât know that's how my parents wereâ. Then I would ask, âDo you remember your parents?â Sheâd say of course I remember my parents.â
For Grandma: My maternal grandmother, my ancestry research question is: Are we really related to the Washington and Lee family in Westmoreland County, VA? As in the families of George Washington and Robert E Lee. ââ |
Journal Posts
All
Archives
March 2021
About mePaperdoll Journal Ancestry
|