As far back as I can recall, I always asked my parents to tell me about what the world was like when they were a child.
I would listen to their stories over and over again. Mom always was more talkative than Dad about "the good old days," but I enjoyed hearing the stories over and over. I loved hearing how the Parker children didn't get to see their Christmas tree until Christmas Eve, and how once on April Fool's Day, Grandma Doris told Mom and her sister and brother that there were worms in the chicken noodle soup. Dad told us how many good pals he made while serving in the U.S. Navy, and how he hoped someday to go back to Hawaii.
Working at a library, I also have the opportunity to help people learn more about their family heritage. Sometimes we have patrons who drive for long hours to go back to Ohio to learn more about their own roots.
We are privileged to have many valuable resources at the library, as well as close access to the County Courthouse for significant vital records, as well.
So, whether I am doing research on my own family lines, or just walking through a local cemetery and viewing the many different tombstones there, I enjoy the challenge of trying to find out more details about the individual who is honored by that stone, and learning more than just the names and dates that are carved on the granite.
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