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Bringing family history to life
Her journey into history not only introduced her to her ancestors, but also to people they came in contact with. One ancestor was among the original settlers with Daniel Boone in Kentucky. Another knew George Washington. Family members in Illinois knew Abraham Lincoln before he ran for office. Myers says her historical research goes beyond genealogy. She calls it "annotated genealogy." "It brings names and dates to life," she said. "Annotated genealogy is a method of collecting and organizing family stories, home remedies, history, recipes, and more." She and her son, Len Myers Jr., will give a free how-to workshop on the method at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Camden-Jackson Township Public Library. She said it will be an interactive workshop, and those attending should bring pencil and paper. The workshop is based on the workbook, "Annotated Genealogy," which Myers and her son co-authored. Myers said they will tell what sources have been helpful to them, and they will bring family documents, photos, and artifacts, which will aid in telling their story. They also will ask audience members to share family stories. The workshop is being held in conjunction with Carroll County on the Same Page, a project of the Camden-Jackson, Flora-Monroe, and Delphi Public libraries. Various programs have been held monthly to go along with themes in the book "Crow Lake," which the whole county was invited to read and discuss. The workshop planned for Tuesday evening will relate to the book's theme of family relationships and the influence of ancestors. Myers said her search into her family's background has affected her life today and will affect what she wants to pass on to succeeding generations. It was through her great-aunt Margaret that she learned about the Hornback family's life in Greenview, Ill., in the 1830s. The family regularly shopped at a store owned by A b r a h a m Lincoln and William Berry in New Salem, Ill. Myers has a photo from that time period. It shows a group of men including Lincoln and her grandfather's grandfather, Robert Hornback. Myers lived in the family homestead in Illinois for awhile, and became the seventh generation Hornback to live there. No one had ever put a furnace in the house, and bathroom facilities were limited. Like her ancestors, she pumped water from the well out back. Later, in an effort to further walk in her ancestors' shoes, she and her husband bought an 1850s farmhouse near Sedalia, and her family led a "modern pioneer life." They grew and made everything they could. They raised chickens, rabbits, and dairy goats, and had a quarter acre garden and an orchard. They milked the goats and made cheese, cottage cheese, and butter. They made their own bread and their own soap. "We had electricity, but used very little," she said. They prepared their meals on a wood cook stove, and used oil lamp lighting. For three months they used a wash tub and scrub board; then they advanced to a wringer washer. "Because we had most of what we needed, we only went to town once a month," Myers said. They homeschooled their son, and continued to live like their ancestors for seven years. Myers said they learned a lot from the experience. "We all worked together as a team," she said. She added that they saved money and ate healthier. Myers said her son benefited from the experience because he developed responsibility, a strong work ethic, and he learned life skills from playing board games with the family. "Kids who just look at a c o m p u t e r screen and play video games don't learn how to take turns or lose graciously," she said. Myers said besides replicating her ancestors' lifestyle, she has learned about them by reading their personal letters and ledgers, and by reading local newspapers from that time period. She said she especially looks for those "milestone moments" that affected their lives and have had a lasting influence on succeeding generations. Some of the specific things she learned about her family were: They were politically active, some played the piano, and they believed in education. Her great-aunt Margaret got her B.A. degree in 1922. Myers has a master's degree in library and information science, and her son is preparing for college. She plays the piano, and so does her son. Myers is carefully preserving her ancestors' letters, documents, and photos, and is adding current family information to the collection. Future generations will someday look back at milestone moments recorded through email, CDs and DVDs. |
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