The Carroll County Comet of Indiana shares “Bringing Family History to Life” by Jennifer Archibald and tells of Phyllis Hornback Myers and her family history research. Myers doesn’t call herself a genealogist.

Myers says her historical research goes beyond genealogy. She calls it “annotated genealogy.”

“It brings names and dates to life,” she said. “Annotated genealogy is a method of collecting and organizing family stories, home remedies, history, recipes, and more.”

…Later, in an effort to further walk in her ancestors’ shoes, she and her husband bought an 1850s farmhouse near Sedalia, and her family led a “modern pioneer life.” They grew and made everything they could. They raised chickens, rabbits, and dairy goats, and had a quarter acre garden and an orchard. They milked the goats and made cheese, cottage cheese, and butter. They made their own bread and their own soap.

“We had electricity, but used very little,” she said. They prepared their meals on a wood cook stove, and used oil lamp lighting. For three months they used a wash tub and scrub board; then they advanced to a wringer washer. “Because we had most of what we needed, we only went to town once a month,” Myers said.

…Myers said besides replicating her ancestors’ lifestyle, she has learned about them by reading their personal letters and ledgers, and by reading local newspapers from that time period. She said she especially looks for those “milestone moments” that affected their lives and have had a lasting influence on succeeding generations.

Wonderful! To really explore your family’s history this way, to literally get into their shoes and live as they lived, wonderful.

Phyllis Hornback Myers and her son, Len Myers Jr., present how-to workshops on “annotated genealogy” in the Delphi, Indiana, area, and maybe available outside of the area if your group is interested in learning about how to live as your ancestors lived.