It’s been a little more than two years since my Grandma passed away. She has been on my mind a lot during the last few months. I miss talking to her on the phone about my discoveries. She would be so excited about all that I have learned about her French ancestors. If she were still living, I probably would have printed her a fan chart for Christmas with her French great-grandfather in the center.
She would be delighted!
Why?
Because at the time of her death I knew the names of her great-grandfather’s parents and two older sisters, but that was it! All of the rest of that work has happened since October of 2018. I’ve found several more ancestors than what you can see in that chart, but I haven’t added them to FamilySearch yet. They are still a work in progress.
I am thankful every day for my Grandma and the excellent start she gave me in my genealogy journey.
In honor of her, I share my updated Maternal Ancestor Count.
There are a few really exciting tidbits in this update.
First, I KNOW WHO JOHN COSTELLO’S FATHER IS!!!!
I also know who his paternal grandparents are! I may also know who his mother is, that is still not perfectly clear, but I’m working on it. Those additions are so miraculous, I colored the boxes representing those three precious ancestors purple.
That work required a huge chunk of my time in 2019. Well worth it!
Second, I added my first set of 10th great-grandparents to my tree while working on my Joseph Miet project! AMAZING!!
Those two precious ancestors represent only .098% of my 2,048 10th great-grandparents. That is less than one-tenth of 1%, but still a huge milestone for me!
Aside from my John Costello success on my Mom’s paternal line, all other direct line ancestor additions in 2019 were on my Mom’s Mom’s Mom’s line. All but one were on that wonderful Jerrain line in France.
I have learned so much this year about French research. My transcription and translation skills have drastically improved. I’ve learned all sorts of research log tricks to help me keep track of what collections I have searched and what I was searching for in those collections, as well as how to keep track of those “bright shiny objects” I find in the church records without derailing the task at hand. My questions are becoming more focused, my researching more efficient, and my discoveries more complex and oh-so-exciting!
In 2019 I added EIGHTEEN direct line ancestors to my tree and SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE total family members to my tree.
That is something to celebrate!
This coming year I anticipate those numbers to be far smaller as I work on my portfolio and some targeted genealogy education. But I know those numbers will still grow. That is joyful. Every single name I type into my tree feels like a shared victory with my Grandma. Because of that incredible feeling, I will seek that thrill for the rest of my life.
So Grandma, here’s to another fantastic year filled with genealogy discovery for the two of us! I love you!!
2020 is here — let’s hit the ground running!!
What is your ancestor count?