Family tales

Last year around this time, after my son left for college, I got it in my head to do some research on my family and ancestors and became interested in genealogy. At that time, I opened an account on Family Search. I wanted to know where some of my ancestors came from and research some of my roots.

After I started this hobby, a few weeks later, my life got complicated with several curve balls, but that's another story. And I forgot about this little hobby. But these days, I have taken it up again.

Last weekend, some of you may recall that I commented that I had attended a family reunion of my mother's paternal family, to whom she was never very close, as her father passed away when she was 15.

That side of the family has German roots. For many years, I used to ask her out of curiosity what she knew about her grandfather and how they came to Venezuela, but she would always tell me the same thing, that she didn't know much about them.

The family reunion, against all odds, was fun. But the best thing is that the group that was created on WhatsApp to organize it has been active afterward and lots of information about the family has come out. In a few days, I have come to know more about my German ancestors and my maternal grandfather's family than in my little more than 50 years of life. Many questions I have asked for years to my mom and aunt have an answer now.

I've seen a picture for the first time of my great-great-grandfather's family, who according to the story came from Baden, Germany in the second half of the 19th century and were among the settlers of la Colonia Tovar, a small town founded by German migrants that until today preserves many of their traditions.

I have resumed the creation of my family tree in Family Search and I hope to be able to get some data and documents that tell me a little more of the history. So far, in a quick search, I have already got two references to the family name. A Venezuelan historian and chronicler named Germán Fleitas Núñez mentions it in his book Palabras al Viento about the settlement in Colonia Tovar. And earlier today, I found another document. This time a degree work about La Colonia Tovar and its foundation, where it is mentioned.

I like family tales. Knowing where we come from has always made me curious. I don't know a single word of German, well actually I know one, Tante. Because that's what we used to call my great-grandfather's younger sister, who I got to know as a child. She is the one sitting on her mother's lap in the photo of the collage. I remember seeing her a couple of times when I was a child and at that time, she was already ancient. Coincidentally, when my husband saw the picture, he said to me, you looked like that baby in your pictures as a child.

_{My mom and my aunt}

And she also looks a little bit like my mother when she was a child, who is the right one in the picture.

So these last few days, I have spent some time researching about my ancestors. Like today, we have a rainy afternoon, perfect for alternating a little bit of Hiving with the search for some family tales.

And you, do you like genealogy?

That's all for today. Happy weekend!

Thank you for reading.

_{If you're reading this and you are not on Hive yet, I invite you to join through my referral link. And I could delegate some resource credit to help you get started.}