Your Great Great Great Granddaughter Is Looking For You

by Kathleen Mirabella

The year is 2068. Your great grandson John, and his wife, Elizabeth, are in their small two bedroom apartment preparing for the arrival of their first child. There is barely enough space in the second bedroom for a crib and small dresser. The closet is stuffed with boxes of old notebooks and books that John had received from his grandfather. John had never looked in the boxes. His grandfather had told him the boxes contained family research done by his father and mother. John and Elizabeth considered it junk, they needed the closet space for the baby, so on recycling day your work of 30 years was thrown away.

The year is 2118. Your great great great granddaughter, Catherine, at age 25, has begun to trace her Family History. She had heard stories that one of her ancestors had traced the family back sixteen generations. No family member knew where these research records might be. Her grandparents, John and Elizabeth, had died before she was born. Her Aunt stated the family had come to America on the Mayflower. There was also the story about the family being in Macoupin County, IL, for five generations. Utilizing the Macoupin County, IL Home Page she decided to visit the Staunton Public Library. She looked through all the index cards and files. Nothing! She did not give up. She drove to the Carlinville Library. Nothing! She searched the Macoupin County Historical Library. Nothing! She could not comprehend how someone could do years of research and not leave copies of their work at a library. She left Macoupin County disappointed.

The year is 2007. You can change the ending of Catherine’s trip to the Staunton Public Library. Round up your bible records, birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, military records, pictures, handwritten notes, typewritten notes, computer generated notes, family group sheets, and anything else you have. Make a copy of everything for Catherine. She does not need a professionally completed book. We all know our research is never done. Place everything in a binder and send it to the Macoupin County Genealogical Society.

If you listen carefully, you can hear Catherine’s scream of excitement when she finds your gift to her.

Send Catherine’s gift to:
Macoupin County Genealogical Society
PO Box 95
Staunton, IL 62088-0095

Note: Each year send an update of your research to the Macoupin County Genealogical Society for Catherine.

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