My great-grandfather John was a farmer and a fiddler. He was known for hard work. A real miser, or so the story goes. No one knew where he kept his money, but everyone knew he didn’t spend it.

He kept black snakes in the barn to rid it of unwanted varmints. His sons helped him cut timber and they would place the logs on wide-wheeled wagons drawn by beautiful oxen. He would take the logs to Logansville until the river raised high enough to float the logs down the river.

One cold Saturday morning great-grandfather John was riding the logs on the river when he slipped and fell in the icy cold water. Pneumonia developed.  He died before revealing to anyone where he kept his money.

An imaginative story? Hardly! How did I learn about my great-grandfather?  Trough genealogy –of course. I discovered this story while rummaging through Aunt Minnie’s musty smelling old trunk. There were old fans, calendars and letters, dating back half a century.

Genealogy is the study of one’s lineage. It is fun as well as informative. Besides the joy of learning about your ancestors, you can leave a documented heritage for your children and other relatives.

I suppose there is another reason I enjoy researching my family history and that is following the clues. It’s kind of like putting a puzzle together, one piece at a time, and finding the likes of great-grandfather John.

By now you must be asking how do I begin researching my own family tree? First, you must work backwards from yourself and your immediate family. Document everything! Talk with your oldest relatives first if possible. Take a tape recorder and record their conversations/stories.  Ask to look at old family Bibles or other documented records such as marriage licenses and baptismal records. Listen closely to the stories they tell for in them you may find a clue to the next step you will take.  Remember family lore usually contains some truth but often gets exaggerated.

Likely sources of information: census records; courthouse records, marriage licenses and wills; church and cemetery records.

Unusual sources: agricultural census; school records; courthouse monuments, restaurant owners, and small town postmasters.

There are many more resources available to help you trace your ancestors, but this should help you get started.

By the way, no one ever found my great-grandfather’s money according to Aunt Minnie….. This is just one of many fascinating characters I’ve discovered while searching for my family pedigree. I’d be willing to bet there are dozens in your family, too.

Researched and written by Mollie Mercer Hewett

(This article was published in my local newspaper.,The Griffin Daily News, and several surrounding area newspapers as well).