There are several things about genealogy that make it fun and fascinating. One of the things I like most about genealogy is that it brought alive the reality of how interconnected we all are. I discovered 4th and 5th cousins in distant parts of the county, people that were gracious with their time and information. How many of us are there everywhere, I wondered? You could be crossing the street and passing total strangers and they could be related to you! Also, the fact that, the farther back you go, you have to figure that everyone is related. My son, who was probably about 10 or 11 when I got interested in genealogy, said, "Mom, basically we are all descended from Adam, right? So why are you so interested in all these ancestors when you know the ultimate one?" Wisdom from the mouths of children!
I also love the detective-work aspect of it. Putting pieces of the puzzle together, finding missing bits of information and piecing together the story. Since Eva's ancestors were almost all Quakers, there was a wealth of information (the Quakers kept detailed records of monthly/quarterly/yearly meetings and births/marriages/deaths. But for my paternal grandmother Phila, a LOT of detective work was required. I discovered an interest I had never known I had in tracking down information and putting the story together. So maybe I'll have a second career as a private investigator!
But the biggest thing is seeing history come alive through people I am descended from. Abraham Franklin Strahl's brother, Otho French Strahl, put aside the nonviolence and abolitionist principles of the Quakers and joined the Confederate Army, and became a brigadier general (I discovered several websites devoted to - or including - his story). Knowing which ancestor lived through the Revolutionary War and which ones left the South for slavery-free states and territories just makes the history so real. This stuff in books really happened, and really happened to real people who were our ancestors. Fascinating!
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