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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am really into genealogy. I've been doing it on and off for 30 years. The farthest back I can go is about 1800 which is a 3rd great-grandparent for me. This is because all of my ancestors are Ashkenazi Jewish, and records are more difficult to find much earlier than that. Last names weren't used (unless wealthy/well-known) until about 1800 give or take, and there are no church records. They moved around a lot, etc.

Having said that, I know at least the first name of all 16 of my 2nd great-grandparents. And there are still records to be found in Europe. Some are being digitized and put online as we speak. I also like to dig deep into each person's life even if I cannot go back very far. I also go wide - with grandparents' siblings, great-grandparents' siblings, etc. I love learning how my family fit into history - it's amazing. I have learned so much about history and my family. I have also connected with lots of distant cousins around the world - even if it's just a brief email or a Facebook friend.

We recently had my son's Bar Mitzvah, and his third cousins were there (not because of my genealogy; my husband is friends with his 2nd cousin). I looked at the picture of my kids and his kids and thought, "Wow, their great-grandfathers, born in the late 1800s, were brothers. Could they have guessed that their great-grandsons would be celebrating a Bar Mitzvah together?"

Anyway, the answers to this question have been interesting, even the ones who say they have no interest. [b]Because I am so fascinated with it, it baffles me that others have zero interest in it.[/b] But I know that is the case. My sister has little interest in genealogy, and other genealogists say the same thing about their families. We have concluded that each family has one person who is the keeper of the stories. I like the responsibility. And every once in awhile I find out a neat fact or find a cool photo that even my sister thinks is interesting. Happy hunting! [/quote]

+1
I can’t imagine someone not being at all interested in finding out about the people responsible for their existence. [/quote]

A friend of mine grew up in an abusive household. Ran away at 18. Has zero interest. Not everyone thinks alike.[/quote]

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