When starting a project in family history, all the guides I have read suggest starting with the events closest to the event you are researching. In this case, I guess I'll start with the birthplaces of my parents and how I came to be born in Salt Lake City.
Dad was born in Salt Lake City in a home on what was then called 8th West. Sometime in my teen years, the streets were renamed since West Temple is actually 100 West and 8th West became 900 West. Doing research with Dad's sister, we found a picture of the home where he was born. His older sister was just born just 13 months before he was. Needless to say Nanny was very busy with her healthy, active young ones.
Time spent looking through boxes in the basement, garage, attic, closet or under the bed along with a family member can lead to interesting or forgotten stories and memories. It also creates new memories and strong generational ties.
Mom was born in the small, central Utah farming community of Ephraim. Born in her Grandmother's home, it was the same home where her mother was born. This charming little pioneer-style adobe home had provide shelter and comfort for my grandmother, her parents and her seven siblings. Later in life Grandma would purchase the home to keep it in the family. The restoration and maintenance proved to be more than she and Grandpa could manage and after a couple of years they sold it and it was torn down and replaced by a modern home.Sparks Family Home
I remember traveling to Ephraim with my family to help Grandma work on the home. The yard was dotted with dandelions. We lost count of the buckets of them we pulled up. Since the home was unfurnished, we brought sleeping bag and a couple of cots for Grandma and Grandpa. I don't remember air mattresses, but I do remember Grandma giggling during the night as those of us on the floor would groan or moan as we rolled over trying to find a comfortable spot.From Then to Now
As my family can attest, I have spent many years climbing my family tree. Sometimes the journey has been exciting and sometimes frustrating but the more I gathered the vital facts of an ancestor's existence, the more I wanted to know about the person.
Sadly, I discovered I do not descend from very many dedicated journal writers. But I have discovered other items that have provided insight into a few of their lives. Other sources have provided interesting information about the places where they lived and events that happened during their lives. These have helped bring these people to life again and keeps me looking for ways to learn more.
One of the more difficult journeys has been building the family tree of my husband's grandfather. Joseph Samuel Marrom died before my husband was born but his story has all the elements of the American dream. His family has proven to be very elusive. My husband, his sister and I have worked for several years hoping to unearth leads to move beyond just the names of his mother and father.
In an effort to reach out to Marroms scattered throughout the world, I started a blog, Marrom Quest. Follow the link to learn more about Joseph and how he came to America. http://marromquest.blogspot.com/
In future posts, I will share some of treasures I have discovered how I was able to discover them and why they mean so much to me. As we unravel the maze of how I came to be where I am today, please feel free to contribute comments on places you may recognize, people you may know and suggestions on how or where to find information that would expand understanding and appreciation of the journey.
