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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: EDO on Saturday 01 September 07 23:04 BST (UK)

Title: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Saturday 01 September 07 23:04 BST (UK): G'day RootsChatters

I have read with interest the several responses to the following thread -

what good did your ancestors do for you?

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,252912.0/topicseen.html

There is a corollary to that question -

What are you going to leave your ancestors??

EDO
in OZ
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your ancestors?
Post by: philipsearching on Sunday 02 September 07 00:44 BST (UK): A jolly and spiffing good morrow to you, Edo.

Did you mean descendants?

I hope to leave my descendants the memory of a man whose heart was in the right place even if his brain wasn't always.

As far as genealogy goes, I expect to leave them a brick wall or ten, together with some unfinished lines of enquiry. I want to leave them a sense of who their ancestors were, where and how they lived, and a desire to find out more.

Philip
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your ancestors?
Post by: clematised on Sunday 02 September 07 01:06 BST (UK): The first thing I am going to leave my ancestors is nothing as they are no longer living but what I would like to leave my decendants is firstly my genes that will be very valuable in the future as genetics are the means to the future in mapping out our past and also the means to inform the people ahead of us what we are mad up of.

We can all leave our worldly goods and sometimes we have nothing of great value in monetery terms but we all know that we can leave a paper trail of information and pictorioral with names and places and also the tree that we are all mapping out but the best thing we can leave is the next generation that can spurn and carry on the family name.

The families of today are a dying trate as fathers are are unknown or un named and this will continue while the current trend of the law such as the CSA continue to hunt fathers to pay for their sires as in the old days of bastardy bonds where we are now searching for the fathers of our forebears where the fathers were unwritten.

I am pleased that you have written this question as it has made me think about the future as to what I will leave my decendants and one thing that will be certaian is that I will leave all the paper information and the pictorial information that is available to me and the most important thing is my families medical history which contains varian sorts of cancer diabetes and alczimers and any other medical ailments that may cross my path before my demise.

I thank you

Edna
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your ancestors?
Post by: adee7 on Sunday 02 September 07 01:31 BST (UK): Hi EDO

For my three children and on down the line through their children there will be a package of information about my ancestors that will include as much social history and as many old pictures as I can put into it.

I believe that it is important for our descendants to learn about our lives and why we are the way we are. I want my grandchildren to learn about my life from childhood to 'seniorhood' (is their such a word?).

Born in 1936, my childhood with strict parents, constant moving about the country, and the economics of the times was so very different from those of my grandchildren, that I am contemplating writing it all down.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I would like my descendants to understand my part of our family story. How often have we wondered why our ancestors did certain things or moved from place to place?

Mostly, I want them to know that I love them. Mushy? Perhaps, but more important than all the rest of it.

Kathleen
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your ancestors?
Post by: Kin-getter on Sunday 02 September 07 02:21 BST (UK): Whatever files/photos/curios/memorabilia/gedcoms I might wish to pass on I have no family to pass them on to. So much for material things.

Spiritually, I'd want to leave behind the feeling of pride that I have when I think of my Scottish and Canadian ancestry.

I'd want to leave these wee poems:

1)
A brief moment in Eternity.

While walking the dog I chanced to be
Down beside the deep blue sea
And gazed across this precious land
As we lay contented on golden sand
A brief moment in Eternity.

2)
"I am the sum of many parts"

I am the sum of many parts
Collected together since Time began.

All those genes flow from Adam and Eve
Not to forget Oor Jock Thomson and his bairns.

This is Nature's Book - The Book of Life, wherein
Our generations are its chapters.

With each generation a new Dawn comes
And just as surely night will follow day.

Are not our lives but words upon
The pages that make up The Book of Life?

Our events the punctuations in the text
We term as History.

What makes us so different
From those that went before?

And what of Evolution?
To what do we evolve?

What do we leave behind for others
When our Day has become Night?

More genes, words on a page?
What else?

3)
TREE of LIFE

Oh Tree of Life so tall and strong
With roots sunk deep in history,
Each limb a mark of Man's endeavour
And leaves the sign of growth.
In reaching up towards the sky
It shows the path to destiny.
Bending with each wind of change
Ravaged by the storms of time.
Its needs seem so few
While it offers so much.
(May I be your Tree of Life?)

Oh Tree of Life so safe and sound
A haven for so many,
Giving solace to weary souls
Who rest beneath your boughs,
As breezes rustle through your leaves
Making music pleasant to the ears.
(May I be your Tree of Life?)

From such a small and precious seed
You grow through Nature's care,
Past Man's allotted span of years
Upright, steadfast and true.
(May I be your Tree of Life?)

4)
Journey

Teardrops fall onto dry skin –
Many have gone before.
Their meeting –
A fleeting
Part of history.
Raindrops fall onto dry bed rock –
Others have gone before.
Their meeting –
A fleeting
Part of history.

Dewdrops fall onto dry brown grass –
Like those that fell before.
Their meeting –
A fleeting
Part of history.

Each journey begins with that single drop –
A journey that never ends.
Rain that rolls down dry slopes –
Flows in a lemming rush –
Who’ve done it all before.

Ahead and beyond,
Across and around,
Drop becomes pool,
Pool becomes stream,
Stream becomes river,
River becomes sea,
Sea becomes cloud –
Which falls as drops.

5)
Haiku

If it suits our mood
Haiku makes creative thoughts
Seasoning the mind.

James.

(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/OpenandShut/Flags/scotlandc4e.gif)(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/OpenandShut/Flags/canadaC.gif)
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your ancestors?
Post by: EDO on Sunday 02 September 07 06:13 BST (UK): Quote from: adee7 on Sunday 02 September 07 01:31 BST (UK)
Hi EDO

............................................................. constant moving about the country, and the economics of the times was so very different from those of my grandchildren, that I am contemplating writing it all down.

Kathleen

I am too::

BUT 'my mob' are saying the first thing they will do would be to throw out Dad's old junk!!

ps. Thank you to those who pointed out my error in the heading of -

"Ancestors" in lieu of "Descendants"

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: MarieC on Sunday 02 September 07 08:07 BST (UK): I don't have direct descendants, but I am somewhat in despair about my nephews and nieces ever being interested!

I've already given them a little book I wrote about my father's life - am not sure what they think of it. I intend to leave a family history - if I ever get round to writing it! - and hopefully my memoirs, if I ever get around to writing those! I will give copies of those to the local Family History Society, just in case none of the next generation are interested - at least they'll be preserved there!

Then there are a few family heirlooms. My mind is greatly perplexed as to who will value these. Hope some potential recipients make themselves clear before I leave this world!

MarieC
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Tephra on Sunday 02 September 07 09:16 BST (UK): Absolutely nothing .............. I'm gonna spend it all on a cruise :P :P :P

Barbara
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Gadget on Sunday 02 September 07 09:20 BST (UK): Totally agree, Barbara. I don't believe in inherited wealth - I didn't inherit any. I shall buy shoes ;D

Seriously , like Mary, I have no direct descendants so a charity and some heirlooms like family bible and not very valuable (in money terms) jewelery to neice. I hope to write up all the FH and put it on the web.

Gadget
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Lydart on Sunday 02 September 07 09:39 BST (UK): I read somewhere recently that records stored on older discs are now unreadable by modern computers, and that Microsoft have taken on the task (presumably being paid) of converting the equivalent of 580,000 encyclopaedia's worth of FH records onto modern storage systems ... so what price the web ? Will it be the same in 20 years time ?

The answer ... paper records !

But for my children and grand-children and so on ... I'd like to leave them a love of God, life, people, nature ... well, there won't be any money, thats for sure !
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: elaine447 on Sunday 02 September 07 10:04 BST (UK): The same as they leave me when they go home
A MESS LOL later when I've cleaned it
Elaine
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Sunday 02 September 07 10:26 BST (UK): Quote from: elaine447 on Sunday 02 September 07 10:04 BST (UK)
The same as they leave me when they go home
A MESS LOL later when I've cleaned it
Elaine

Good girl!!! There should be more like you!!!

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Sunday 02 September 07 10:31 BST (UK): Hello Lydart
re your
"Microsoft have taken on the task (presumably being paid) of converting the equivalent of 580,000 encyclopaedia's worth of FH records onto modern storage systems ... so what price the web ?
Will it be the same in 20 years time ? ""

I'm not intending to be around.

You have that on your own.................

I would definitely be - a Cranky old _...t

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Simon G. on Sunday 02 September 07 11:54 BST (UK): Quote from: Lydart on Sunday 02 September 07 09:39 BST (UK)
I read somewhere recently that records stored on older discs are now unreadable by modern computers
I was discussing this very issue with the conservator at the GlamRO the other day. It's quite sad because not only has the technology moved on so much that it's incredibly difficult to find a system capable of reading the older disks, the disks themselves were never made to last for very long. The sad truth is that after a few decades, the disk medium itself will degrade to the point where it's unusable and there's nothing a conservator can do to prevent that. Certainly after some effort it's possible to move the material to a new medium, but then the point is lost a little. Archives by definition want to preserve information in it's original format. Moving information to a new disk is like photocopying a 200-year old book, and then binning the original.
The irony is that modern technology will leave a legacy of destruction that paper records never did. For all our progress, the 21st century is going to leave records that are unusable for future generations.
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Sunday 02 September 07 12:01 BST (UK): Hello SimonG

"Archives by definition want to preserve information in it's original format. Moving information to a new disk is like photocopying a 200-year old book, and then binning the original."

SIMON:: I'm afraid that some unsophisticated organisations / associations are doing just that!!

No interest in the past at all: They live just for themselves in the present.

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: mahees on Sunday 02 September 07 12:35 BST (UK): Nothing is left from my Great-Grandad, who I have put a lot of time into researching. His WWI medals are probably in a car boot sale somewhere, and all I have is one photo.
I am a member of a group on the internet who are all descendants of members of my Great-Grandad's Canadian battalion, and one of them carves wood for a living. They recently raffled a beautiful wooden box with the battalion's badge carved in the top. Some way, some how, I won ;D
If I ever find his medals I will keep them in the box, but either way, I now have something tangible that I can pass on to commemorate him.
Erin :)
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: MarieC on Monday 03 September 07 06:42 BST (UK): Isn't that tremendous, Erin? :) Just shows that mementos of our ancestors don't absolutely have to be things that belonged to them. This, carved with love and care by someone who also had an ancestor in that battalion, will be a worthy substitute. I do hope that one day, you find his medals!

MarieC
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Guy Etchells on Monday 03 September 07 07:07 BST (UK): Quote from: Simon G. on Sunday 02 September 07 11:54 BST (UK)

I was discussing this very issue with the conservator at the GlamRO the other day. It's quite sad because not only has the technology moved on so much that it's incredibly difficult to find a system capable of reading the older disks, the disks themselves were never made to last for very long. The sad truth is that after a few decades, the disk medium itself will degrade to the point where it's unusable and there's nothing a conservator can do to prevent that. Certainly after some effort it's possible to move the material to a new medium, but then the point is lost a little. Archives by definition want to preserve information in it's original format. Moving information to a new disk is like photocopying a 200-year old book, and then binning the original.
The irony is that modern technology will leave a legacy of destruction that paper records never did. For all our progress, the 21st century is going to leave records that are unusable for future generations.

No the irony is that modern technology is duplicating the problems of the past.

Let us not forget Parish Registers were originally recorded on paper. However there was a problem with the longevity of paper and so an order was given to transcribe the paper records onto parchment to aid preservation.

Storing & transferring electronic media is not the same as printed media as the format is transient and not meant to be kept over lengthy periods.
In electronic media it is the data that is important not the media it is held on.

Whilst on the subject do not forget that much paper today is of poor quality and will not last for decades either.
Cheers
Guy
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: mahees on Monday 03 September 07 11:33 BST (UK): Quote from: MarieC on Monday 03 September 07 06:42 BST (UK)
Isn't that tremendous, Erin? :) Just shows that mementos of our ancestors don't absolutely have to be things that belonged to them. This, carved with love and care by someone who also had an ancestor in that battalion, will be a worthy substitute. I do hope that one day, you find his medals!

MarieC

Thanks for the reply MarieC. I really have worked hard to discover so much about my mysterious Great Grandad, and I feel really lucky to have such a wonderful prize. :D

As for the medals, you never know, one day I may get even luckier ;D

Erin :)
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Simon G. on Tuesday 04 September 07 07:40 BST (UK): Quote from: Guy Etchells on Monday 03 September 07 07:07 BST (UK)
However there was a problem with the longevity of paper
Depends on the type of paper. Original cloth-based paper is naturally alkaline, so survives pretty well in the archives. It's when they changed over to using wood-pulp (which needs to be broken down with acids) that the problems come in. The irony is that a lot of older sources will survive better than the modern records, due to modern paper and recording media being of such a poor quality that they'll most likely decay within a generation or two.
Also depends on how the records are stored. Churches, in general, are hardly within the accepted regulations for the storage of archival material. The biggest problem I've seen when working with the original registers at work is that of mould.
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: little meg on Tuesday 04 September 07 09:56 BST (UK): My Paintings. ;)

Everyone says to me 'you could sell them you know,"
I just say that I don't want to sell them, they are for my family.
I have already done the circuit of Art shows etc.
I have very little from my ancestors and hopefully my descendants will appreciated my artwork. :-\

Margaret
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Tephra on Tuesday 04 September 07 09:59 BST (UK): Having seen some of your artwork Margaret, I'm sure they will be delighted.

Barbara
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: little meg on Tuesday 04 September 07 10:04 BST (UK): Hi Barbara,
Thankyou ;D, I plan to scatter them to sons, daughters, nieces nephews, you name it.
They won't forget me if I have my way ;D
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: little meg on Wednesday 05 September 07 04:01 BST (UK): Just came to mind something I thought I would share.

I am fixing up an old box for my post card collection, decorating it with decoupage etc. Not a very good job, in fact it looks terrible.
My 29 year old son was over, and agreed that it was absolutely terrible (nothing like the truth).

I told him that I am leaving it to him in my will ;D ;D

After that I brought out my post card collection to show his girlfriend, pointing out that this one cost this amount, and that one is worth this amount. Explaining that basically the whole collection could be worth quite a bit.

29 year old son pops up and says, " Ahhh, so the post cards come with the box do they?"
Seems to me he is now a lot happier to accept my gift.

Margaret
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Wednesday 05 September 07 04:27 BST (UK): G'day Margarte

Why not give it to him now / when you've finished the decoration.

Strike while the iron's hot!
Keep up his interest.!

Otherwise when "the family", get to it, someone will see no value in it and
"chuck the lot".

It happened with my forebears with my Grandfather's books / records::
The lot went!!

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: little meg on Wednesday 05 September 07 04:56 BST (UK): Hi Edo,
couldn't hand it over, he has no place to live, always seems to be on the move. Said he may have to move back home again for some time. AAAhhhhh!
Besides, not really responsible enough yet to look after my treasures!!

I will leave a note attached to the inside of the box.
"in the case of my demise, this box belongs to..."

That should do it. ;D ;D ;D ;D

regards Margaret
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Tephra on Wednesday 05 September 07 05:15 BST (UK): Margaret, don't forget to add ......... 'and contents' or they'll give him the box minus whatever's inside . . ;D ;D ;D

Barbara
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Wednesday 05 September 07 05:16 BST (UK): Yeaaah Barbara

Good thinking

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: EDO on Wednesday 05 September 07 05:18 BST (UK): Don't stick a tag on the outside, they come off!!

Paste it on the inside!!
Obviously, it will have to be there for many decades!!

EDO
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: little meg on Wednesday 05 September 07 05:24 BST (UK): ' and contents' ... got ya!
I have lined the inside of the box with tapestry material so I will sew my requests to it.

Thanks guys, I am sure he will appreciate all this attention ;D

Margaret
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: redmr2red on Wednesday 05 September 07 05:51 BST (UK): I'll be leaving my son, with instructions to leave it to my grandson, my Avitar (on the left) which is a gold locket & chain with a picture of my Great Grandfather in it, (even though he had two families at the same time and we are the second unmarried family). When my grandson gets it that will make six generations.

But first I have to hope my mother will leave it to me. ;)

Kevin
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Windsor87 on Wednesday 05 September 07 22:54 BST (UK): It is not in my intention to create descendents, so that makes things that little bit easier for me.

Whoever they may be, they can inherit my knowledge of the family. It has always been my intention to write down the stories I know about my grandmother to give some character to what would otherwise be names, dates and pictures.
I think that this is something which most of us forget when we do our trees. We record the names and the dates. We record the events and value pictures. But we often forget to record character rendering it to be of no value to our research. We should write down the funny stories and the tragedies before we forget them, or before it is too late to pass them on.
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: adee7 on Wednesday 05 September 07 23:56 BST (UK): I fully agree with you.

It has always been my intention that the document I give to my family will include my recollections of my grandparents (the two that I knew), written notes about my Scottish grandparents (kindly provided by a cousin), and stories about my parents and the folks of my generation.

As well, I continue to search for anectdotes and social histories that will help give a broader picture of our ancestors' lives.

I believe that when all is said and done these are far more important than the dates that are so very important as we search for our ancestors.

Kathleen
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: pennine on Wednesday 12 September 07 22:57 BST (UK): An unpaid gas bill! ;D

Pennine
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: brendam on Wednesday 12 September 07 23:25 BST (UK): To my children I will leave memories and lots of papers that I've collected, they love looking through their files now and they are only 12 and 16, so hopefully their files will mean more to them in the future.

To my only niece I leave an audio cassette that was made when I moved out of country for a few years. She was three years old (25 years ago) and telling me about her day. All of a sudden she said "I have to go pee now", she took the recorder with her and you can hear her tinkling and flushing". Then she says "I'm done" and sings me a song. That tape is one of my most prized possessions. I also have all the letters my niece and nephew wrote to me when they were wee children.
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: BevL on Saturday 15 September 07 08:51 BST (UK): Won't be many photos as they stopped taking photos once I was born! I don't know why!
But I'll try to write on the back of photos who is who in the family and leave a fairly well documented report particularly of my own family - with a bit of the other peers as well!
Bev
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: dollylee on Saturday 15 September 07 10:22 BST (UK): Hopefully.......a beautiful dining room suite that I saw in a shop the other day ;D ;D ;D

dollylee
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: kickbuttgirlie on Saturday 15 September 07 12:04 BST (UK): I have 2 passions - researching the family history and Needlework. I have decided to blend the two together and stitch my family tree then make it into a quilt/wall hanging - depends how big it gets.

My kids love helping me with the research so hopefully this will be a way for them to keep all the information together and last a little longer. I have even taught my 2 eldest kids to sew just in case they have to take over and finish it off ;D

Well thats the plan anyways...

KBG
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: karenlee on Saturday 15 September 07 12:17 BST (UK): A genetic predisposition towards a large rear end.

Totally untamable and unruly curly hair.

My great grandmother's dining suite, currently in use at my house.

Lots of bits of scrap paper with undecipherable scribble about dead people who "might" be related to us.

17 foolscap sized ring binders with information on dead people that I know are related to us.

A love of mysteries.

A desire to solve them.

The ability to simply live day to day and accept what comes your way.

Karenlee
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: markee on Saturday 15 September 07 13:28 BST (UK): Oh yes Kickbuttgirlie
My two passions are needlework and tracing my family tree and I would also like to embroider both mine and my husband's family for our children to keep.
Quite an undertaking, though.
Maybe one for my retirement!
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: kickbuttgirlie on Saturday 15 September 07 15:43 BST (UK): Hi Markee,

I reckon if i start now i might be just about be done by retirement.

KBG
Title: Re: What are you going to leave your Descendants
Post by: Lincsbabe on Saturday 15 September 07 22:58 BST (UK): Interesting subject folks!!

It has to be the information I have collected regarding my family line. As I have no children of my own I will be passing details on to both my nieces. I do have another line on the go that will be passed to my OH's children for their future.
I guess apart from a few pieces of jewellery there will be not much of financial value. This is not of great importance to us as we feel that the past and memories are the key. Memories to me are a great part of our past and our childhoods are precious Lincsbabe

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