Why I do Family History

"I will read all their dreams to the stars." Spring Awakening

"You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story." Lin Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

 Growing up, the only "old" relative I knew was Nana, my great grandmother. She was tiny, smelled like an old person and liked vegetables in her jello. I remember how during Sunday dinners she would sit in the rocking chair, her hands clasped together and would watch as my younger siblings played with my cousins. She didn't talk much, but she always had a smile on her face.

It's been six and a half years since my Nana passed and I find myself wondering what Nana thought as she watched us play. Did she see specks of her mother or sister in us? Did my brother remind her of her husband who she lost decades ago? Was she in awe, looking at my Mom's accomplishments and remembering her when she was a child? I wish I would have asked, but I assumed that she would be around forever. 

I knew the stories of my Dad's side. He loved to tell me about the men and women who were our ancestors. He was particularly proud of the strong women in his life. They were teachers, educators and pushed for their children to have a better life then they did. The Stapley side was that of faith, strength and stubbornness. Many of these women wrote detailed histories and as I read them, I feel like I know them and that I am granted a looking glass into their lives. But there is still so much I don't know.

I don't know where my sisters got their red hair. My Mom's brother and Mom have red hair, but I don't know if that was from Nana or Grandad's side. Looking at the pictures, I don't see much of me in my Mom's side. I inherited my my height and Scandinavian features from my Dad's Grandma Afton  (I think).  I don't have fingerprints...why? Did anyone else in the family not have fingerprints? What did I inherit from Mom's side?

And what about my personality? What are from my dad's side and what are from my mom's?  If my ancestors could see me now, would they recognize certain features in me? I see bits of personality in my siblings. One sister has my Dad's boldness, one sister has my Mom's dance talent and my Grandma's singing voice. A third sister has my Granma's love of creating and the fourth sister has Dad's work ethic with Mom's organization and dance ability. My brother has the Stapley gene of intellect and faith.

I love the why's of history. I'm a history school teacher. I love being able to understand how people lived throughout time and I wish I had a time machine to talk to those I've never met.  What made my second great grandfather Daniel Wise leave Georgia for Louisiana and how did he meet his wife Corinne? How did George C. Wise get back to Georgia after losing a leg and two brothers at the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia? Who is Emma Chloecy's mother and why is it so hard to find that information?

As I research, network and connect; I feel that I am putting together a puzzle that shows me where I came from. I learn about my ancestors, their struggles and am so thankful for their examples and choices. I'm putting this all on a blog so that there is a record that can be viewed. These are not just names on a page, they are people who lived and breathed. They had success, they suffered and they all deserve to be remembered. I would not be who I am without my family, both immediate and extended. My siblings and I are their legacy and I hope to do them proud.