Who Do You Think You Are?

Yesterday my husband and I started watching (on Demand via FIOS of course) a new show called Who Do You Think You Are? It is a genealogy-themed reality show that researches/focuses on details about celebrity's ancestors. Some of the information they discover is quite amazing, as a few celebs played acting roles to what their own ancestors experienced though they didn't know it at the time. Like them, thankfully I can appreciate having so much history about my own family with the help of my Dad, Mom and some distant cousins. I love having our family tree on geni.com, which is FREE, private (unless you invite family) and anyone invited in your family can view it and add to it. Plus you can even add stories (which I already have) about family members for future generations to be able to view/read. I think it is important for your family to know their roots and keep family memories alive. There is just something so beautifully special about knowing who you are.

As said, I wanted to create the geni.com site for future generations. Mainly for my son, any other children I may have and my nephew. All I have to say is if any of them EVER have a project on their family tree...God help the teacher because there is a TON of information covered. I already see A+ on those projects : ).

I am also very humbly amazed about how easily the family line could of ended quickly with my husband's side of the family. As most you know or may of read in past posts, my husband was born in Russia and as far as we know thats where his ancestors were from as well. Think back to World War II. 27 MILLION Russians died alone during that war. I am not trying to denote the great sacrifices that the Americans did, but our losses totaled an estimated 292,000 casualties. Huge difference. Generations for so many countries were lost in just one war and it could of easily ended my husbands.

Also at some point during Stalin's reign my husband's Great Grandfather (who I believe was a General) was executed under Stalin's orders for unknown reasons and the rest of his family was sent to Siberia, which is where my husband was later born. My husbands Grandfather only had two children and of those two children there was only one child born, which would be my husband. My husband's other Grandfather remembers hiding in hay stacks as a child when the Nazi's came through his village and remembers the Nazi's sticking pitch forks into the hay and him dodging it. How fascinating it is to know that my son is apart of that lineage and how scary it is to know it easily could not of happened.

Then take my family for example. My Grandmother got one of the last boats out of Europe before World War I started. Both my Grandfathers served in World War II and thankfully both came home to have my parents. My Dad was young during the Vietnam era when so many of the soldiers did not come back from Vietnam and my Mom was a pioneer having heart surgery in the 50's. Astounding all these events in peoples lives could of changed so easily, but it didn't. Just think about how amazing it is that you are where YOU are and that your family like many other families survived!

I also have to marvel at one more thing that is more of a obvious realization, but a cool one anyways. As far as history points me back to my Dad's side of the family, in Hungary we were Byzantine Catholic. I know my family for generations (since the 1700's) lived in this one very small village. I am pretty sure the church was there too as most communities have a church. Therefore that being said, my son also has this awesome likeness that his ancestors had before him, that he too is Byzantine Catholic. Although many of my family members are Christian, not all kept with the Byzantine faith. I am not bragging here. I just find it touching that our faith goes back so far and that is has once again been reborn into another generation when it could of so easily been lost.

I just fine genealogy amazing. Its a puzzle to figure out. It makes you who you are. I would love to hear some of your past. I love history.