A Lasting Tribute

My friend, Joan, passed away late last month - she was 84. I actually never met her in person, I only interacted with her online. Still, the genealogy chats we had through email were as vivid as any I've had face-to-face. She was really something: a dedicated researcher, a stickler for documentation, a selfless volunteer. Joan lived half-way around the world from me, in a place where I've never travelled, and had done research in the in-between places. Without her contributions to my family history, I'd still be stuck at the water's edge in North America...

Folks who've worked for a life-time on a Family Tree project are often meticulous and thorough, building a bridge to the past with their sweat and tears. Precious discoveries, found only in dusty archives of war-torn Europe, could never be regained if they were lost. And, while it seems there is almost always someone in the family who takes on the task of searching for the family roots, not every one of those people have children or can identify their successor(s). As a result, there is a good chance that all the hard work could be lost forever. Some genealogists consider (though many do not) what will happen to their work when they pass away. It is an important question. What would happen to all of your genealogy data and connections if you suddenly had to stop your search?

In Joan's case, she contacted me a few years ago to ask if I could help her put her research on the Internet. We worked very hard together to get permission from living relatives and sanitize the information to avoid posting data on living people. I created a draft of the site from emailed data - 214 pages of births, deaths, marriages and residences - and told her she could add/or change as necessary. I knew the site was too big to be perfect - but she wanted it to be right. So, despite her statements that the process might take forever (and my recommendation that she not attempt it), she reviewed every page in about three months. We had several interesting back-and-forths on the names and relationships and, by the end, she seemed excited that the task was done - and that some of the research would survive her.

Her family understood her concerns - and how much she valued the connections she had made through that hobby. So, on the day after she died, I (and the rest of her genealogy email contacts) received an email from Joan's family. They kept us up to date on her funeral arrangements and (later) informed me that they were taking steps to save all of her work. The whole thing made me feel great because it showed that her concerns about the preservation of her genealogy data were actually unfounded - someone was ready and willing to pick up her mantle and carry it forward.

Genealogy researchers are a special breed, with lots of similar ideas about family and goals for that long-hoped-for reconciliation. Joan exemplified the search for knowledge and truth that many of us who love this hobby share. I'll miss her. With her in mind, I wish you all happy hunting!