Passing It On

This is a wheel. It's already been done.

 

Your life is unique. Throughout time, for all the billions of people who have dug their heels into this planet's bountiful soil, no one has been exactly like you. Or your family, for that matter.

But here's a news flash for you: You're not the first person to show an interest in preserving family history. Chances are, there's someone in your own family that's doing it right now. Researching family history is the No. 2 hobby in America, ranking right behind gardening and, according to some accounts, closing fast.

So, why not capitalize on all that interest by making your job a bit easier? As the saying goes, why re-invent the wheel? There are plenty of genealogy resources available on the Internet, many of them free. And there are hundreds of blogs on the topic.

Use your favorite search engine to find them, read them and learn from them. Here's one woman who's not afraid to admit she borrows ideas from others. We all do. That's called learning.

When you find a blog that you like (such as this one!), subscribe to it. It's simple. Details can be found in the column at the left on this site. Or you can check out this post on "search once and subscribe" by my blogging-coach friend Mike Sansone.

Then you can start preserving the unique details of your family history in a format you're comfortable with.

We'll be giving you a nudge throughout the month of May which is Personal History Month. Starting May 1, we'll be offering a free, month-long mini-course on how to write your own personal history.

Be here.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of Ana-Lin.

 

Who cares about ya, baby!

Sometimes you just have to wonder: Is it worth it? Does anybody else really care about what I'm doing?

This is a common lament heard by personal historians. Modern life is hectic, to be sure. Many Americans lead busy lives. Many families today are too wrapped up with coping with the present to fully appreciate their past. That extends to their children.

Even when a few minutes of down time pops up, kids are more likely to spend them watching TV, playing video games, visiting You Tube or myspace, text messaging friends or hunkering down with their iPods than listening to stories about grandma or great uncle Harry.

An interest in family history is rare in a younger person. It usually shows up later in life. Fortunately, most people develop an interest in their family history at some point. Sadly, that interest is often piqued after the death of a family member when the realization of what has  been lost sinks in. But, at some point, most people want to know.

Every family has an "alpha child," one who takes an active interest in preserving family history. At some point, your family's alpha child will emerge.

Remember, that person whose eyes glaze over now when you go off on a good-old-days rant today, may be the same person that will be asking questions about those days later.

So, for now, share details of your family history when the time is right, as is suggested here. Someday those seeds you plant today will bear fruit. And here's a poem in praise of those alpha children who have cleared our paths to family knowledge.

Reminder. To mark Personal History Month, I'll be offering a free mini-course in how to write a personal history throughout the month of May. Drop by this site beginning on Tuesday, May 1 for the first installment.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of  thepalmtrees.

 

Uh-oh, my musical roots are showing

I spent some time last week reconnecting with my past as I worked on my own memoir.

That included a visit to my hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa, where I enjoyed the company of relatives, reconnected with an old friend or two, and toured the city, taking photos of homes I've lived in, visiting many familiar landmarks and catching up on a few I'd either missed or have been added since I moved away.

One element of the visit caught me off-guard, however. It was triggered by a CD my mother gave me of some songs recorded by a musically-gifted uncle, Rick Andersen, and his wife, Harriette. It reminded me of the role music has played in my life.

I have the musical equivalent of two left feet, not exactly tone deaf, but close. I sang in the church choir as a teenager but it was one of those just-move-your-lips-Larry kind of things. My mother, on the other hand, had a wonderful voice and often did solos.

Although I couldn't sing, I once tried seriously to play the guitar. I fancied myself as something of a hybrid of Bob Dylan and John Lennon lyrically, but I was more of a Soupy Sales  instrumentally. I did OK with the look and attitude, as the accompanying picture shows, but came up short at the actual musical end.

Still, I loved listening to music. Early in my writing career I wrote concert and record reviews, wrote a rock music column and met and interviewed people like Carl Perkins, Maybelle Carter, Waylon Jennings, Buddy Knox and Dion DiMucci.

Interestingly, there was a time many years ago when my uncle Rick and I were roughly equal in musical skills. But he stayed with it, adding the dobro and harmonica to his repertoire and regularly jamming with friends and relatives (including my fiddle-playing mother). He's even added a recording studio in his rural home and keeps busy recording others from the area. That's where he recorded the CD I was given.

Among the 17 songs he and Harriette put on their CD is a raucous number called "I Won't Go Huntin' With You Jake." Mom says my grandfather used to go around singing that song all the time, something I don't recall.

But, as I listen to my uncle offer his version of the number, it's easy to visualize grandpa enthusiastically spitting out the lyrics about wimmen-chasin' mountain men in his thick Danish accent, laughing loudly as my grandmother half-heartedly turns away in mock disgust.

That vision brings a smile to my face. Thanks, Rick, Harriette and mom.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Did I really say that?

 

Did you ever have a teacher that had you write a letter to yourself, that would be mailed to you at a later date, say, in a few years or so?

A couple of guys named Matt Sly and Jay Patrikios have taken that concept and adapted it to the Internet. Through their future me site, you can compose an e-mail to yourself, add your e-mail address, pick a future date and submit it. Presumably, your e-mail will be delivered to that address on that date.

Think of it as sort of an electronic time capsule. Nearly 400,000 messages are already on file, many of them made public by their creators and accessible through the site.

He said it. "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." -- Will Rogers.

Odd fact. Houston is justifiably proud of its reputation as the "Barbecue Capital of Texas." It brags less about its unique form of air pollution which, according to scientists at Rice University, includes fine particles of cooked meat. Nothing like a whiff of charred flesh. What's in the air in your area?

Coming soon. Beginning on May 1, check this site for a free on-line mini-course on how to write a personal history. The month-long course will include tips on time management, using memory triggers, organizing thoughts and materials and the writing process. The course requires no special skills in writing or genealogical research. There are no assignments, deadlines, tests or papers to turn in. There is no registration required. Just be here. And tell your friends, too.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of //bwr.

Hit a research wall? How about checking your DNA?

 

Interest in researching family history has exploded in the Internet age.

New databases are added to the genealogical soup every day, complicating even further the sometimes bewildering family research landscape. If you want to get right down to the nitty gritty of your lineage, you might opt instead for DNA genetic testing.

Granted, a DNA test won't tell you if your great great aunt Harriet really married that John Smith, but it can tell you if you're descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, a legendary 5th-century Irish king, as are an estimated 2 percent of today's New York’s European males.

DNA testing has been used in paternity tests for years, but has only recently been touted for genealogical work. Proponents say the test is as simple as brushing your teeth. You swab your mouth, drop the sample in the mail and wait for the results. Testing kits are available on line and in a growing number of retail locations.

The Zalewski family has embarked on its own DNA project to validate research or to fill in gaps where documentation has been lacking. Among the companies offering DNA testing are GeoGene, GeneBase and Family Tree DNA.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of  herve.

A gift from the heart for Mom

 

Mother's Day is less than three weeks away.

If you're a last-minute shopper, that's probably like an eternity. If you're like most of us, there's still plenty of time to grab some chocolates, wine, flowers, plants or a card to mark the occasion.

But, to make this year's day extra special, I suggest digging a bit deeper, and I don't mean into your wallet or purse. Why not add a personal legacy letter to the mix?

A legacy letter allows you to give mom something truly unique for her special day. The simpler the better.

Start out by picking out one special lesson or value you learned from your mother. Then think how she taught it to you and what it has meant for you over the years. Search your memory for stories or situations related to the lesson or value you've picked.

Then begin writing. Start by clearly stating why you're writing the letter. Follow with the body of the letter, telling the stories of the lesson or value you've selected. Close the letter with some statement of gratitude and love for your mother.

Legacy letters can be used for many other occasions, too. They're a wonderful way to share what's truly important to you with the people you love the most.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of Daniel Y. Go.

A dash of this, a pinch of that: Cooking up some family history

I've written some of my Danish and German heritage. I've written less about the Irish and Czech heritage that I married into.

One of the many great joys of this merging of cultures is food-related. My wife is one of a lengthy line of great cooks of Bohemian food. The recipe card pictured with this post comes from her collection. It's a recipe for dumplings that she got from her aunt Caroline. It's allegedly the same recipe used at Omaha's fabled Bohemian Cafe. While I can't vouch for the authenticity of the recipe's lineage, you can probably tell from the stains on the card that it's a family favorite.

We reveal a good deal of our heritage through food. Indeed, many family cookbooks are laced with details of a family's history. In some cases, it's all a family has to connect it to its past. I suppose that's why I'm such a big fan of potluck dinners. I've always found it fascinating to see what others eat. While many non-Iowans see our state as a white bread, meat-and-potatoes place, that's definitely not the case. You're just as likely to find pud thai, empenadas or biryani at a Des Moines potluck as lime Jell-o or deviled eggs. There's a story behind every dish.

Here's the story behind 94-year-old David Eyre's pancakes, a recipe that's being passed down through the family and recently found its way to the pages of the New York Times magazine.

Think of the effect food has had on your life. How special it was to get an orange at Christmas. Those Fourth of July picnics. Wedding receptions. Family reunions. What are the stories behind your favorite recipes?

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Oh me, oh my, oh mio...should I do books or video?

 

Ah, yes, the old which-format-do-I-use question.

This is often the second question I get as a personal historian, right behind "What is it you do exactly?"

As a writer by trade, I'm partial to the written word. Books, after all, have been around for centuries. Your ancestors are much more likely to deliver their stories in the form of old letters, diaries, journals, documents and articles clipped from publications than as audio or video records.

The written word, even though most of it is currently produced on computers, is less prone to succumb to the advance of technology. Music in my lifetime, for example, has gone from shellac (78s) to vinyl (45s, LPs) to magnetic tape (reels, two-tracks, four-tracks, eight-tracks, cassettes) to CDs to PCs (MP3s, WAVs, etc.) to iPods. Video has followed a similar path (remember Betamax?).

The truth is, though, that there's nothing quite like hearing a familiar story told in the familiar voice of a parent or grandparent. Even if you've never met a person, hearing their voice or seeing them on video, gives you a perspective that is simply unavailable in print.

Fortunately, most of my family history work involves interviews, which are recorded, transcribed and given to the client. In addition, I'm working with a local videographer so that we can provide the best of both worlds: I create a written work that provides the detail and depth that only a written work can while my video friend records the interviews and edits them into a professionally done 20-30 minute video.

In any personal history project, recording stories before they are lost is the No. 1 priority. Just about everyone has a sad story of how they always meant to record so-and-so's story, but they were gone before they could get it done.

So, what are you waiting for?

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of  xanadubijoux.

Cruise looks into his roots; wants to buy them

Actor Tom Cruise spent some time around Roscommon, Ireland, a few  years back, researching his Irish roots. He apparently became quite attached to the old family farmstead, a 33-acre plot in Kilteveen.

Now he's in negotiation to buy it, according to the Athlone Advertiser newspaper.

The land was once owned by the actor's ancestors, the Mapother family. He was born Tom Cruise Mapother IV in New York in 1962. His great grandfather Thomas is believed to have come to America in the early 1900s.

"We're the house with the Viking out front."  When Carrie Heiser of Duvall, Wash., started tracing her family roots several years ago, she had no idea where it might lead. When she discovered that her family's Icelandic roots stretched back to fabled Norse explorer Leif Erikson and beyond, she knew what to do.

She commissioned an artist to create a 6-foot-tall, 800-pound bust of Erikson's grandfather, Olafur the White. The concrete creation now guards the family driveway.

Heiser told the Seattle Times that her three children, ages 13, 17 and 26, didn't initially share her zeal for family history.

"They make fun of my Viking things," she said. "But now, with Olafur out there, they're intrigued. It put a face to this story I've been telling them."

She said it. "The older I get the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball–the further I am rolled the more I gain." ~ Susan B. Anthony.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo of Tom Cruise courtesy of  Nancy Reimond.

What's in a name? Plenty

 

About 30 years ago, my youngest brother, Dave, and our Dad got bitten by the "Lehmer roots-hunting" bug.

Their painstaking research in those pre-Internet days produced a family tree that extended back to 1700 in Wettereau, Germany. Among the many family details they uncovered was the fact that the family split along three general lines, each with a different spelling of the surname - Lehmer, Leamer or Lamer.

While many family researchers are savvy enough to know that a family's generational lines frequently are cluttered with misspellings and other variations of the family name, I had never previously considered the fact that I may be related to a Leamer or Lamer.

I have since learned that the name means "worker of clay," which I choose to believe means that there's an artist (rather than brickmaker) down deep in the roots of our family tree.

Keep these spelling variations in mind as you research your own family history. You may be able to uncover pertinent family details that would otherwise go undiscovered.

Here are a few places where you can learn more about names:

• Is your name James, but your mother calls you Petey? That's the situation in this post that points out how your legacy is tied to your name.

• These people will create a book for you on the history of your name.

• Want a beer stein with your family crest on it? These folks can do that, and much more.

• What does your name mean? Go here to find out.

Author Larry Lehmer's book about Dick Clark and American Bandstand --  Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll --is available from Sunbury Press. His book about the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -- The Day the Music Died -- is available at Amazon.

Flickr photo courtesy of  Luke S..