DuPont – Page 71 – The Suburban Times

The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

DuPont

Catch the Christmas Spirit and Keep It All Year Long

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If you’ve celebrated fifty or more Christmases, chances are that you may be finding it hard to connect with the true Christmas spirit this year. Face it, we’re not exactly the demographic the toy and computer manufacturers are going for. I mean, do you really want a Princess Elsa doll or a USB backup for you Mac Air? I thought not.

What we need, you and I, is something to help us put the constant and dizzying changes in the holiday celebration into perspective. Luckily, the whole problem is put into perspective in a timely manner by one of our most gifted local writers. Who would that be? Well, as Mark Twain said, “I allude in these vague general terms to … myself,” Dorothy Wilhelm.

Heritage Questions: Why do Genealogy Detectives have to go to the trouble of keeping a Story Journal?

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I can’t believe it’s the last edition of Heritage Questions. It’s been fun visiting about keeping our family histories alive. The major change I’ve noticed is that we’ve gone from thinking about a workshop to understanding that we are really talking about becoming Genealogy Detectives. One of the things I found most surprising is Dee Haviland Fournier’s insistence on proving the “facts” we find and her emphasis on the importance of a Story Journal, because it’s not just about birth and death dates. It’s about real people. So for the last column today, I want to tell you why I think it’s so important that we share and understand our mutual journey.

Heritage Questions: What Does a Genealogy Detective look for?

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It’s this Saturday! The Family Research Workshop “From Hudson’s Bay to Downton Abbey” is this Saturday, August 16 to benefit the DuPont Historical Museum from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. I didn’t suspect until we started working on this interactive program how much it’s possible to learn in just a few minutes, and how important are the family stories that go with the bare facts. For instance:

Heritage Questions: So Am I A Genealogy Detective yet?

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I had a call the other day from someone who said she can’t come to our our special heritage event From Hudson’s Bay to Downton Abbey on August 16. But she wanted to let me know that she was writing a check to the DuPont Historical Museum anyway because she believes our small museums are so important. You don’t even have to do that, just plan to be with us next Saturday, August 16, (with lots of surprises, prizes, and a free lunch) all for the benefit of the Dupont Historical Museum.

Heritage Questions: I don’t mean to be grouchy

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“I don’t mean to be grouchy, but I don’t think I have time to do all of this research.“ That’s what I said to Dee Fournier last Friday as we talked about family research. “I mean, who’s kidding who. I barely have time to do the bare necessities. I haven’t washed undies in two weeks.”

“That’s too much information,” said Dee, moving back a couple of steps. “How much time do you have.”

Family Heritage: Answers to questions you didn’t know you had

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Dorothy: Dee, here’s a question a lot of people have asked. Why are you giving this workshop and what’s your experience?

Dee: I’ve been working in family research for thirty years. I started out wanting to find out about my own family. I really consider my work with older people to be a ministry. I love teaching people, and sharing stories. . I was helping a young woman once who was very excited and said, “I’m just like the people on “Who Do You Think You Are?” So it’s sort of like creating your own show. Starring you and your family.

Heritage Questions: Why am I feeling worried about this?

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Dorothy: Why can’t I find my ancestor’s name? I feel as if this is starting to get more difficult.

Dee: Oh, no! You’re really enjoying yourself. You just don’t realize it. Think of this as a mystery story and in a very real way, only you and your family have the key.

Dorothy: I think someone changed the locks.

Dee: You just have to be patient, and if one lead doesn’t work, you go to the next one. For instance, names are often spelled several different ways. You’d start with Conway – C-o-n-w-a-y – but common different spellings were Conaway, Conoway.

Heritage QUESTions: The Series continued

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Dorothy: My mother didn’t own a bathing suit in the hot August Days of 1928. Actually, at the age of twelve, she didn’t own much. What clothes she had were hand me downs or made by her mother out of printed flour sacks. A lot of people were in the same situation and like them she was pretty stoic, but on this day it was hot as only the Umpqua Valley of Oregon can be. She watched the throng of kids swimming in the river and she had to – she just HAD to – join them.