Hi there Natalie ,

Good question , I have looked at it this way I am not the eldest in my clan I'm in the middle but , I am the one that is in the quest of the family genes and history . Although I feel like the eldest at times . I'm the one that everyone always comes to for advice and stuff even my parents !

The answer to your question is for me it feels GREAT ! Even though I'm the only one doing research I am more than happy to pass it along to the rest of the family cuz I know later on someone will want to see it or maybe even thiere kids would like to see it , either way I'm putting it out there for all to see whenever they feel a hankering to do it .

Welester

> To: general@lists.nuestrosranchos.org> From: nc_coleman@yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 13:46:09 -0800> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] The role of family elder> > > A few days before Christmas my aunt (age 80 yrs - but she thinks I don't know how old she is) had a mild stroke. Fortunately the rescue units arrived promptly and she received immediate care. She is currently in a rehabilitation center receiving various therapies. My aunt is the last of her generation - she is my late father's youngest sister. Unlike my father, she did not have a deep interest or curiosity regarding family history, though she has shared some of her memories with me when I have made inquiries - however, I don't always remember to phrase questions "properly", that is, to ilicit an informative response.> Now - it just occured to me that when she dies (which I don't expect to happen soon), I WILL BECOME the family elder, as I am the eldest of the family of my generation - kind of a scary thought.> SO
- are an
y of YOU the FAMILY ELDER? How do you feel about that role? I guess I better get cracking on my research.> > Just my 2 centavos.> > Natalie> -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- > Nuestros Ranchos General Mailing List> > To post, send email to:> general(at)nuestrosranchos.org> > To change your subscription, log on to:> http://www.nuestrosranchos.org
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Natalie,

I am the family elder (female) of my generation, and I have been thinking about my "role". It is a scary thought. I would be in that position until my own demise, sort of like Queen Eliz or the Pope, ha, ha. In fact, one of my younger cousins recently asked me if I would become the family matriarch when my Aunt Emilia (my mother's sister), the last of her generation at 93, dies, and I told her that that would be the custom in the old days when people never moved, when they stayed in the same community forever. However, it is becoming more and more difficult to even have family reunions, since we are spread from coast to coast and even as far as China now, and it is up to the ones who stayed in the family place of origin to organize things. When my aunt goes, our ties to that place will be gone forever, unless some of us choose to relocate there. Those with children and grandchildren won't be willing to do that.

So, I guess I better cultivate someone of the generation below me to continue the quest and be the repository for all the family history I have been able to gather. I do have one cousin who is older than me who would be the family patriarch, but he, like many men, is not interested in genealogy. He is still a working cop in California and on New Year's was still wrestling drunks and druggies at his age of 71! Even if he ever retires, I don't think he would want to develop the clerical skills to do this work. I do have two younger female cousins that are interested in family history but seem reluctant to spend the time to do the tedious work involved with the genealogy. My own sister, who has similar skills and interest, would do it, I guess, but her time is taken up baby-sitting her grandchildren in Las Vegas.

In this day and age, I guess we just have to post as much info on-line at WorldConnect or Ancestry and in groups like this (thank goodness for the Internet) and hope that someone of our younger relatives down the line will find it and build on it if possible.

Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA ---
----- Original Message -----
From: nc_coleman
To: general@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 1:46 PM
Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] The role of family elder

A few days before Christmas my aunt (age 80 yrs - but she thinks I don't know how old she is) had a mild stroke. Fortunately the rescue units arrived promptly and she received immediate care. She is currently in a rehabilitation center receiving various therapies. My aunt is the last of her generation - she is my late father's youngest sister. Unlike my father, she did not have a deep interest or curiosity regarding family history, though she has shared some of her memories with me when I have made inquiries - however, I don't always remember to phrase questions "properly", that is, to ilicit an informative response.
Now - it just occured to me that when she dies (which I don't expect to happen soon), I WILL BECOME the family elder, as I am the eldest of the family of my generation - kind of a scary thought.
SO - are any of YOU the FAMILY ELDER? How do you feel about that role? I guess I better get cracking on my research.

Just my 2 centavos.

Natalie