"Are You A Missing Person?"

I've always liked mysteries. How about you? Did you know that there is a mystery you can help to solve? It may not be the sort of mystery that you are likely to see on television or to read about in a book, but it is a mystery just the same. In some ways, it may even be more exciting than the other kinds of mysteries. We'll leave those to the police and private detectives. Our mystery involves identifying a missing person and finding out where he or she came from. Are you game? Oh, I forgot to mention that the missing person is you.

That's right. It's you we're looking for. Now, before you object that you know exactly who you are and where you come from, ask yourself a few questions. Although you might know where you were born, do you know where your parents were born? Your grandparents? Your great-grandparents? Did any of your ancestors come from a state, province, or country different from where you live? If so, how and why did you and your family come to live where you now do?

Now let's think a bit about your name. Did your parents name you after a relative? If so, who was it? Why did they choose that name for you? What is your family name, or surname? What does it mean? Common surnames in English such as Miller, Carter, Cooper, Smith, or Farmer might indicate how your ancestors earned their livelihood. What are the national and ethnic origins of your family name? Did your family change its name? Does anyone remember why they did so?

What are your parents' names? What was your mother's maiden name, that is her family name before she married your father? (Keep in mind that today many married women keep their maiden names. Did your mother keep hers?). Can you answer these same questions about your grandparents or even your great-grandparents?

When you've answered as many of these questions as possible you might want to make a family tree to show the members of your family you've identified and also to reveal the gaps in your knowledge. You might also want to construct a time line to help you keep track of the movements and history of your family. Record on your time line the important dates in your family history such as births, deaths, marriages, and other noteworthy events.

Your older relatives may provide you with additional information. In addition to remembering people who have since died or recognizing the people in family photographs, they can also possibly tell you what life was like in the past. You may wish to videotape your talks with family members so that they will be preserved for future generations. You may wish to write or e-mail relatives who live too far away to visit.

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