Bonsor and Johnson Family Trees: May 2015

Why am I writing this family history?

May 30, 2015

I want to share with you why I am spending thousands of hours doing research on our family, scanning and recording our family’s old pictures and films, and writing all these stories. The simple, but most significant answer is, “Because I want to!” I know not everyone understands the appeal of the genealogy hobby, but for me it is personally rewarding to bring to life our ancestors with stories, not just facts.

Most genealogies are not meant to be read, they are overflowing with names, dates, places and facts, but not very interesting to read. I know, because I have studied many. I started my research in 1980, collecting these facts, writing them down in nicely formatted forms and putting them in a binder. Over the years, as I had my family and watched as our lives got complicated and busy, I put my hobby aside. Soon the elder relatives passed on, I realized how much of the family history I had really missed. Each life was a story and when a person pass on that story is lost unless we try to remember it and write it down. I know as I get older, my memory is getting fuzzy; all those wonderful experiences I just knew I would remember for the rest of my life are now difficult to bring to my conscious thought. So I took up my genealogy hobby again and have been pressing forward, trying to gather the facts and write stories that bring our ancestors to life, understanding what they lived through and how they reacted to these experiences. I must admit that even today when I find a birthdate or tombstone it still gives me a thrill; in fact I have been known to do a “Happy Dance” in the middle of the New Jersey State Archives when I found a long lost death certificate. I enjoy delving into to their history.

Photographs are another enticement for me. I love scrutinizing the old photographs; who are these people, where are they and what are they doing and thinking. This is a big part of revealing the story, understanding the event that called for a photograph. During the last several years I have been collecting, scanning photographs and film from all of my extended family. Thank you so much for sharing these precious items. I have been working to identify the time, place and people in these treasures and develop the stories that go with them.

OK, I do this work because I enjoy it, it uses my skills as a researcher and photographer and I am learning new skills such as writing and detective work; and it keeps my mind busy, occupied and working as I get older. This research continually challenges me. I must constantly learn, absorb information, and organize it. It is better than some boring job in my opinion. The bottom line is I would like to organize all my findings, photographs, films, stories, etc. into a book/media/volume to share with anyone that would like it. I feel it is important to pass this information onto our children and grandchildren, from generation to generation. I want this work to be my gift to my child and to anyone else who would treasure it. I know it will take more time to complete this creation of mine and I really have not finalized the end product. Is anyone interested it this? Any ideas?

So now I need all of your help! Yes, I am really asking, I need your help. I would like to have more input from you, the facts, the stories, the memories that you have that I don’t have. Since our family moved away from the Philadelphia area, I did not get to interact with our older relatives very much, did not hear the stories or memories they had, or see their homes full of mementos. I want these stories. Think about what your parents told you over dinner conversation, or while dusting that old picture in the living room. I know you heard the old stories and as kids, you rolled your eyes, “Not another story, Mom and Dad, they are so boring”, but if you think about it you may remember a few. Please, please write them down, or just record them on your phone and send them to me in an audio file, or anyway that is easiest for you. Just a few words, or lines to get started, they don’t have to be complete or beautifully written. Or call me; I would love to talk with you. I plan to visit the East Coast again this summer and see some cousins and hope to get to Florida and Texas in the near future to visit more cousins.

Here are some of the many old photographs that I don’t know who they are. I believe they are from the Bonsor and Kenna family while living in Philadelphia, Camden, Palmyra and Atlantic City. Please review them and give me what you know about them, even just a few words. I would appreciate it immensely. Hope to see you all soon and there will be more stories to come on this blog. See you then and enjoy the day.