Thrilling Moments in My Genealogy Research

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings, who took an idea from Leland Metzler of Genealogy Blog, posted his Saturday Night Fun yesterday and it is about Satisfying Genealogy Moments.

The most thrilling parts of researching my ancestry are hearing and/or finding distant cousins – especially those whom I didn’t even know existed.  Case in point – a child put up for adoption by a great-aunt, an uncle’s child that no one ever knew about, children of a woman I thought had lived as a nun her entire life (but didn’t!), and descendents of my maternal great-grandmother’s sister!  Not only have I connected with these people, but we shared information and still email each other.

Another exciting aspect of digging into my roots is when I find documentation and proof of a relationship.  Family lore and stories are one thing but to see an actual document that proves those stories is a “stand up and cheer” moment!  I’ve had many of those over the course of the last 10 years.

Hopefully I will make contact with more distant relatives and uncover much more documentation as I continue my quest!