2022-02 Feb - The Journey of a Box of Old Photos

Feb 7, 2022 family history 1950 Census photos

From your Ward Temple & Family History Consultants:

Summary

What’s in this month’s message:

1. Announcement
2. Story

Expanded Message

Our Father in Heaven expects us to BECOME more capable in service of Temple & Family History over time, rather than suddenly. Don’t give up when you hit obstacles, just pivot to another area. We all have hit obstacles in Temple & Family History work. Think service and progress instead of trying to be “done” with Family History.

Announcement

The 1950 Census is about to be released! Woot! I was excited when the 1940 Census came out because I found people I knew. The Berryville Ward has asked that we focus on what we become by working on Temple & Family History, so who can we become by volunteering some of our time to help make the 1950 Census available to the world? Who in heaven will be excited by having their work done?

God has blessed the world with improved tools this time around. The 1950 Census indexing will be faster and easier this time around too. Artificial Intelligence will create the initial “indexing” of the handwriting to computer text, then we humans will review that and make corrections as we see them (A.I. is not perfect either). For more details, see https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/indexing-1950-census?cid=em-rt-12474&mkt_tok=NTc4LVRUWC04NzQAAAGCYQPYSed0GFTXzYAvg3CCCUyvRorHlhjulpSysXxfpLFdbIsDoT2SKOKZP6YXC-RYM0F69ieqntu05ODrL10c_7iDhkJsElDq2qRV7pmrrJC3rg.

• Our ward has nearly 30% still working to identify their first four generations. This 1950 Census can help!

  • New and recently new members, are you ready to have a progress discussion with a Ward Temple & Family History Consultant? We can help you identify your first goal and get going.

  • Others that still need help on their first four generations, we want to help you in 2022. Let’s talk about your situation and your goals and take the first steps of your journey.

  • The Church has released a nice little booklet to help you get going. Get your digital copy. Physical copies are available at the FH Center.

• Our youth have been called upon by church leaders to help in the Lord’s Temple & Family History. Will you help? Perhaps just a little bit? i. Load the memories app on your phone. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-O8l0RoHxc for how. ii. Ask relatives their memories of so-and-so and record them with your phone to familysearch.org. iii. Ask all your extended family for photos of so-and-so. We can help you digitize photos if needed at the family history center or at your house using Zoom.

• What is your goal for BECOMING in 2022? What will you do to become more than we are today? You are not alone in this work. What help from Heaven do you need? Ask. Temporally, Ward Consultants are skilled and knowledgeable. They are willing to transfer knowledge and skills to you. And you can ask for our assistance. We want to help. We can meet virtually by Zoom or in person at the Family History Center. If you prefer no helpers, see https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/landing for good resources to get better at Temple & Family History.

Story Time - Journey of a Box of Old Photos

This story hit me as one reason why keeping family photos is important to remembering those who went before. Recently in a major newspaper, was the story of a college-age woman walking by a street vendor on her way to class. She saw they were selling a little box of family photographs. She felt something and asked how much. She passed a $5 bill and got the box of photos. The photos showed a family progressing through their lives. She planned to find the family and give them back to them. But this was 30 years ago and finding people back then was far more challenging than today. After making attempts she put the box away.

Thirty (30) years later, during the pandemic of 2020, she was getting some of her stuff from her Mother’s house to take to her house and she came across this 30-year old box of photos. She tried to find the family again and this time found them.

The man she found got a call out of the blue from this woman. She asked him many questions to confirm he was the right person, and then she mailed the box of photos to him. This man got the photos and couldn’t believe it. It was his aunt’s family. They had only had one picture of her prior to this.

He was so excited to go through the box of photos. The pictures told the story of his aunt’s life, her marriage, her children. Then people started disappearing in the photos. Pictures of concentration camps ended the set. His aunt’s family had been Jewish during the atrocities of WWII. Though his aunt’s story ended sadly, the bigger family got these photos back and made copies before they sent them to the Holocaust Museum.

The reason I’m sharing this story is one comment the man made to the newspaper journalist who documented this story. He said, “The photos made my aunt’s family feel real to me. I knew them better.” I’m sure it was the Holy Ghost that prompted that college-aged woman 30-years ago to stop and try to return a box of family photos to their family. What a story of the power of photos for later generations. Please help your future generation’s turn to their fathers and feel closer to their family and “know them better”.

My great aunt just died on 30 Jan. I will miss her. I spent this week adding the 30 photos gathered at the funeral to family search. I linked each person’s face to their page. I hope it will help descendants know her better. May we each help others become closer to those who have passed on by being able to see them or listen to memories. Photos are great. Recorded verbal memories are great. Written memories are great.

If such a box falls appears in your sphere of life, please take a few moments and share them on Familysearch.org.

HERE A LITTLE, THERE A LITTLE - Feel better by doing small & simple things and becoming here a little and there a little. Great things come to pass over time, so don’t give up. Gaining perseverance is also becoming.

We are happy to serve you,

Your Ward Temple & Family History Consultants (call, text, or zoom any one of us for help with your family history)