Double check everything Aunt Myrtle wrote in the family history in 1952. While most of it may be correct, it is possible that the renegade relative was left out to make the family "look better" and that a date of birth or marriage was altered slightly to be more socially acceptable.
Don't throw out the entire book just because of a few errors. Aunt Myrtle had access to people who are now dead, tombstones that are now gone, and records that may no longer exist.
Like any published material, use Aunt Myrtle's publication with a careful eye.
And be glad she wrote it. Most of us are not that fortunate.
My Grandfather's uncle wrote a brief listing of all his siblings (there were 14 or them!) with names & dates of marriages, births, deaths, and their children, etc. The old man was in his 80's when he did this. This information is surprisingly accurate -- a few dates off and a few names of later generations off a bit. It has provided me the foundation for researching that family line.
ReplyDeleteWe should follow his example to help our descendants!
My husband's father wrote down some information. He got his grandmother and an aunt's mixed up. The had the same first name but different middle names. So memories and confusion can be a bit off.
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