Understanding One's Family History - Essay Example

?My Family History Understanding one's family history is important for every individual. The small things we taken for granted like good education, safe life and huge car will seem precious to us when we learn how much our former generation have sacrificed to let us enjoy this pleasant life. The search for my family history started with me exploring my roots on my father’s side. My father’s Family Tree I knew very little about my father’s family except that they were from Germany and their last name was Schoff. With both my parents deceased, I set out to explore our family history in reverse starting from my birth. I contacted our local church first to look for my Baptism details. There it was. The church had records of my Baptism before 18 years along with my parents name and grandparent’s name. Digging deeper, I found out my parents got married in the same Church where I was baptised, five years before my birth. Their marriage registration details gave me the name and address of my grandparents Jacob Schoff and Linda Schoff. My mother was the daughter of Claude Bourgeois and Michele Bourgeois. With the address I collected from the church I visited Pennsylvania where my father’s grand parents lived long ago. Getting in touch with the area Church, I was able to get the records of my grandfathers Baptism as a child, way back in 1922. I could also get details about their marriage and my great grandfather’s family. My father John Schoff was a business consultant who married my mother Ebenezer Bourgeois. My grandfather Jacob Schoff was a lawyer in New York. His father John Schoff born in 1880 migrated from Pennsylvania to New York as he was a physician. Jacob Schoff, his father had eight children including 5 sons and 3 daughters. He was born and bought up in the Pennsylvanian plantations and lived as a farmer most part of his life. He took part in the American Civil War too. Two of his descendants still live in the plantation. They have a full record of family history starting from the very first ancestor who came to America from Germany way back in 1702. Jacob Schoff’s father Andreas Schoff who lived during the Californian Gold rush is said to be a writer and adventurer. It is said he stuck luck in the gold rush and bought the plantation in Pennsylvania with that money. The family lived in the plantations for three generations until my great grandfather John Schoff moved to New York. Andreas Schoff’s great grandfather migrated from Germany to England in search of a better future in the 17th century. He came to America in 1709 (Schoff Coat of Arms and Name History, 2000). He moved to various places and finally settled in Virginia. His grand children fought for the Independence of America during the 1776 war. His descendants are called under various names like Schoff, Schaeffer and Schafer. I was quite proud to know that my family has such a long history and had contributed its share in every major event of this nation from the Independence struggle to the Civil war. Early day journals maintained by our great ancestor Andreas Schoff written in German, states how a handful of German’s were treated indifferently by the dominant French and British colonists. I have heard stories from my grandfather on how he was scrutinized for being a German descendant during the Second World War. My grandfather was not able to go higher in profession because of this discrimination. However, we live in better times now. Thanks to the endless efforts of generations of our family members who strived hard to give us an economically safe future in this century. My Mother’s History Exploring my mother’s side of family history, I found she is a mixture of Irish and French nationals who settled in the United States centuries back. Peter Bourgeois my mother’s great ancestor settled in Nova Scotia in 1761. Bourgeois were a class held in high esteem next to the Nobles in France (Bourgeois Family Crest and Name History, 2000). They came here to serve in the French army and settled in the US soil. His family slowly moved to Maine and then Massachusetts. Her grandfather was a very wealthy businessman named Pierre Bourgeois. He bought a luxurious home in Connecticut where my own grandparents and mother was raised. My grandfather Claude Bourgeois fell in love with a woman of Irish origin Michele. My grandmother was born and bought up in Ireland. Her family moved to Connecticut after the Second World War viewing the US as the new emerging power. They settled in a house close to the villa where my grandfather grew which led to their relationship and marriage soon after. My mother came to New York to work in the fashion industry and married my father giving birth to my sister and myself. We are complete New York citizens now. Analyzing our family history I could see both my parent’s families have long heritage and have served in several wars. The Irish ancestors of my mother are lovingly called ‘Celtic Warriors’ even today. They were famous for their extreme fighting skills and rich heritage. They received good compensation for serving in the British army during the Second World War. They were promised good positions in the American Army if they chose to serve them. Hence, they relocated to Connecticut after the war with heavy pensions and old money from the ancestors. But, not all of them took up military life again. Being good manual labours they established construction companies, lumber houses and many other labour oriented jobs. Conclusion Checking my genealogy, I could see I am a direct mix of many proud European clans. Though many of these clans despise each other and fight with one another directly, we belong to a new generation which can trace its origins to Germany, France, Ireland and many more places. History united them in a unique way in a country discovered an ocean apart. The US soil nurtured us in every possible way and my family has contributed its fair share to the nation’s development. I can proudly declare myself as a world citizen. References 1. 2000. Schoff Coat of Arms and Name History. House of Names. Retrieved 25 February 2013 from House of Names.com website http://www.houseofnames.com/schoff-coat-of-arms 2. 2000. Bourgeois Family Crest and Name History. House of Names. Retrieved 25 February 2013 from House of Names.com website http://www.houseofnames.com/bourgeois-family-crest Read More