I’ll be real. I was born out of wedlock and my mom was too. So the name that I have, isn’t my real bloodline, and it’s murky to ask about old secrets like that.
my stepdads family is out of coffeeville, al, my moms is out of hernando ms, my real dad is from refugio tx, and only know a name for my moms real dad.
For me, I guess it opens up things that I have conditioned myself to not worry about because of how much hurt it has brought over time not knowing.
At least talking on here with you all about it has given me space to think about it, what was the root of my uncomfortableness with it, and think about if it’s really worth it. I think I may try it out. What’s cool is even though I have 13 brothers and sisters mine will be unique as I’m my mom and dads only child
Thanks for sharing that.
No, I understand.
The one thing I wish I would have known before I started was how emotionally draining and somewhat traumatic genealogy research is. One minute you're happy - then you're pissed off and ready to kill someone -- then you're crying and depressed. Repeat cycle.
So, truly ease yourself into the process and take your time. But, most important - take long breaks when researching. Cause it really does bring
something to surface.
For myself, my last name is not my bloodline - cause my father took his stepfather's name - even though he was raised around and with his father. You know back then many of the same families all lived on the same road - as they all sharecropped on the same piece of land.
But, my father and aunt were "break babies" during my Grannie and her husband downtimes. And I guess my Grandfather and his wife downtimes too. They all lived next door to each other.
So, all my life I have had a last name that I have no connection too -- other than it was my paternal Grannie's husband and his family.
I didn't find this out till I graduated H.S. and really thought about it one day when I was visiting Alabama for the weekend during undergrad in the AUC. I called my Dad and asked why all our family in his hometown in Alabama last name wasn't the one we carried. Then he told me. It was crazy.
But, I applaud you for thinking about starting the process. And you have a huge family - that's a blessing! I"m the baby of four -- and the
-- so you already know - my siblings just love me.
All in all, some stuff you will wish you had never found out or saw - but it's many more things you will learn that you will be happy you did.
