Who Do You Think You Are?

Have you ever watched the NBC show, "Who Do You Think You Are" on Friday nights? Recently, I found myself pondering the title understanding why the producers chose it, yet wondering whether it should really be "Who Do You Think They Were?"


Although it has become my favorite weekly indulgence, I find myself awaiting the various mysteries that are uncovered weekly. Most episodes end with what educators refer to as an "Aha! moment" when the truth of an ancestor's past is reveled to the celebrity.


For those that regularly research their family roots, we are often pondering questions about who we believe our ancestors to be. What paths and choices were they faced with that we have yet to uncover?

Could this unknown picture be a connection
to my great-grandmother, Minnie's story?

My great-grandmother, Minnie, must have had many lives that I have yet to uncover, and may never uncover. In my family it is known that Minnie was somehow a Pottawatomie Indian from Iowa. However, all of the censuses would lead us to believe she was full-blooded German. Also, my uncle recently shared with me memories of Minnie; therefore, leading one to believe she should have a Social Security Death, however, I have yet to find it. Obviously there is information somewhere between Iowa and New York that would help me uncover who Minne really was, but I just haven't found it yet.


So next time you find yourself watching "Who Do You Think You Are," you might want to ask yourself "Who Do You Think They (your ancestors) Were?" in order to assist you in your discoveries of your family truths.