ReZoom

Long after the birds and the bees talk, there can still be a nagging need to answer that "where do I come from" question. And, now that the Internet has made many government records readily accessible, more and more people are tracing their family trees. It can give you a sense of belonging and immortality to "walk" in the footsteps of your ancestors … so why not actually walk in their footsteps?

That's just what Ron Pearson did. After his cousin, Linda Therber, traced their family tree, the two joined with other members of the family to plan a trip around their native Tennessee to visit ancestral gravesites and hometowns.

"It gives you a sense of connection with your past, and it gives you a sense of continuity with your future," Pearson says of his trip. "You can look upstream and downstream and you have a sense of your own place in things."

William F. Pearson, great great great great grandfather to Pearson and Thurber, came to Tennessee in 1812 to settle on a land grant that he was awarded for his service in the American Revolution. Years later, Ron Pearson arranged to have his parents, children and grandchildren visit William's grave in Flatcreek, TN, located on the original land grant. All in all, four generations of Ron and Linda's family, amounting to about thirty people, traveled the back roads of Tennessee to hear the stories and see the sights of their family.

"Take the time, make the time and do it," Ron advises anyone who is interested in making a similar trip. "Involve as many family members as you can to help put it together, because it helps bring the family closer together. Everyone has a shared purpose, shared values - and it's everybody's story."

To start your own search through the twists and turns of the family tree, Michael Holt, professional genealogist, recommends, "Get familiar with the census system we have in this country, and where to get the records, and take it from there. The census records are the thing that ties a lot of people together."

Holt certainly knows the ins and outs of these quests. Two years ago he was commissioned by Vernon Winfrey, father of the infamous Oprah Winfrey, to trace their family's past. The information he found was later used in a documentary that aired during Black History Month on PBS in 2005.

And, if sorting through documents and files to trace your lineage is giving you trouble (or just seems a little too time-consuming), there are plenty of professionals out there to help. Holt will trace anyone's family tree for a nominal fee. All he requires in order to make a cost estimate is the name and approximate location of a male member of your family in 1930.

Consider the time and effort an investment in your family's legacy -- and it will certainly make those grade school reports on ancestry a lot easier for your grandkids.

Michael Holt would be happy to answer any questions via email at mlholt139@bellsouth.net or telephone at 615-726-1139.

Here at ReZoom, we're exploring ways to leave behind a positive legacy. Click here to see the rest of our stories. Get inspired. It's never too late to create a legacy. More