Sherry Wilson's

GENE POOL:

INTRODUCTIONS ARE NOW IN ORDER:
My maiden name adorns this site. At the time of the launching on this outpost of the Internet (July, 2005) I have managed to survive and celebrate a phenomenal, three-score birthdays. (Three score sounds a little less ancient than 60 years!) The surviving was not as easy as the celebrating, by far.

My life is a potpourri of experiences which shaped my perspective on my favorite hobby and avocation…namely, GENEALOGY. My survival has included a recovery from breast cancer (twenty-two years, so far); from alcoholism (thirty-three years); from nicotine addiction (thirty-one years); and a variety of bumps, bruises and broken bones along the way. A person can develop a lot of tolerance for other folks' character defects while examining their own shortcomings. This is why I have a slightly different perspective on my ancestors and the study of genealogy as a whole.

I studied psychology in a vain attempt to discover why our family was all screwed up. I pursued genealogy for basically the same reason. At least now I know that I'm not the only "black sheep" in the family…and that I came by it honestly.

Genealogy is a great hobby, and it appears to be contagious as well. One can spend endless hours communing with the dead while totally tuning out the living…an especially, nice hobby if one has poor, interpersonal skills and five ex-husbands for proof.

There's another aspect to my "take" on genealogy…and that is my eclectic belief system. Unlike a lot of folks, I don't have "A" religion. I have morphed several into my own viewpoint (and I don't plan to start my own cult anytime soon). I just don't believe in limiting myself to one view on the subject of the Universe or a Higher Power. For anyone who cares, this is what I do believe:

The challenge to genealogy addicts is to view all of their ancestors with tolerance and forgiveness. "Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!" Or in my family's case, the phrase would be "Soldiers and statesmen and ministers, OH MY!"

Some of the soldiers in my tree defended their families from hostile natives (remember to keep perspective for a moment). They honestly believed that they were doing the right thing. I have several ancestors who can claim that they have defended this country back to a time when it was just a bunch of colonies. I also have a second cousin who is a lovely, Native American woman. Try telling her that we did the right thing for the right reason. And the irony is that she and I share many of these same ancestors.

Our ancestors came here to start a new life…the majority of them desiring religious freedom. The Native Americans knew that we were coming long before we left the other shore. And they knew that their lives would never be the same after we arrived.

Our "approved" history books are written from one perspective, which was that of the gallant pioneers who fought valiantly to safeguard their homesteads and protect their families...or, were these ancestors, the imperialist Yankees who rationalized and justified their incursions into a land without invitation and with a dismissive attitude toward the aborigines there. As you see now, it's a matter of perspective.

In climbing my tree I have discovered highly-educated Scottish ministers and statesmen who owned plantations and who presumed to "own" other human beings for the sole purpose of increasing their property and wealth. They believed that they were entitled to do this. I am honestly ashamed of some of my ancestors' actions and beliefs. Unfortunately I wasn't the one to inherit their property and wealth. All that I received was a conscience and a voice.

To the novice genealogist or anyone attempting to record and understand their family line, the rocks that we turn over in our examination of the past, may reveal some rather unsettling facts.

Both revulsion and pride have to be tossed aside. One can't be proud of an ancestor who, from one perspective, was a great pioneer and patriot; and from another perspective, slaughtered, demeaned and cheated another race of human beings. It is necessary to maintain a purely scientific and impartial attitude toward genealogy and to its subjects. We are historians. We let others interpret the facts (this is difficult to remember). Please don't forget the old adage about not shooting the messenger.

My ancestors help me out from time to time. They look over my shoulder as I squint through databases and census reports. They steer me toward that certain "rock" or record. And when I visit their cemeteries, they walk by my side. I weep at the broken tombstones and they remind me that they don't really live there. They've taught me a great deal about life and perseverance. Many of them have changed their attitudes about what they did or what they accomplished while living. They invite me to move on now.

I am among the few fortunate (?) genealogists who have been able to trace several lines of ancestors back through several centuries. As I gradually absorbed the information, I became aggrieved at the multitude of ancestors who fought to the death for their beliefs, while only a generation or two later, their descendants married the descendants of the so-called enemy! Yankee and Rebel; Irish and English; English and French; Viking and Celt, Roman and Greek, Catholic and Huguenot…they all lie in the same ground.

Back to Charlemagne and beyond, I've searched…through saints and martyrs, Christians, Crusaders, and practicing Warlocks... I went looking for answers. And now as I near the end of my search...I realize that I have forgotten the question. Seriously, folks, if you are in search of ancestors to claim eligibility into a time-honored lineage society, go for it! You'll have the opportunity to hang out with like-minded individuals (obsessed with the past).

If you need assistance in your application, I have provided a handy guide to proving eligibility in a lineage society on this site. I previously volunteered in my society to help others find the documents that they needed, as well as teaching Genealogy at a local school. This avenue seemed the best way for me to pass on what I have learned to others who are still struggling.

In terms of my present, I have an only child (who's not a child any longer) and he will soon be leaving for another war-zone to fight a battle which essentially started before the Crusades. So, this is how I distract myself from worrying. (Illness prevents me from having more of a life of my own right now.) I answer mail when I'm able, spend time with my busy grandchildren when I can be with them, and continue to look for answers with my ancestors, while we all wait for his return.

Sincerely,

Sherry Wilson

P.S. I'm always interested in finding my cousins!

 

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