Roots

Lately I've found myself (re)discovering an interest in genealogy. It combines my love of researching things with a potentially endless project scope if I so choose. But it's also been reminding me of some of the odder aspects of my family tree:

My mother's parents both died before I was born, and she never discusses them. As a result, I don't really know what year they died, where they're buried, what killed them, or even their first names. It seems strange, even to me, but my maternal line just stops.

I know a whole lot more about my father's line, since both my grandparents survived into my teens. They were both German immigrants, so I can trace my family immediately back to Germany. That's half the fun, in my mind - I was able to find the village they came from, and someday, I hope I get the chance to visit it. The odds are pretty good that I still have some close relatives in the area.

Actually, come to think of it, I already know of at least one relative in Germany: Christa Hermann, who I stayed with when I visited Munich. I think her father and my grandfather were brothers, which would make us first cousins, once removed. I should double-check that...

Bah, this is all extremely boring to other people anyway. We'll leave today's moral at: if digging up information turns your crank, genealogy is good stuff, and you'd best get a start on it now before your relatives start dropping like flies.