For years, I’ve worked on documenting those aunts and uncles who had no children of their own. These ancestral siblings are sometimes ignored in favor of the ones who married, had children, and have descendants living today. That’s usually because at least one descendant is actively researching them. But those who never grew to adulthood or who didn’t reproduce should be remembered just as much as the ones who did.
I’ve decided to expand that project a little bit to include more work on those who had children, but who have no living descendants. I have one uncle who died in Illinois in 1906 and was the father of seven children. Five of those children died in a ten-year time span in the 1800s. The two children who survived to adulthood left no descendants of their own. So I have decided to work up what I can on this family in order to preserve their story and information.
Who do you have in your tree that is the end of their line?
4 Responses
Sometimes I have found those who left no descendants had really interesting lives, especially those who never married. I try to document them as well.
And sometimes they certainly leave behind better records.
As someone who has no children (not by choice), I am sensitive to the need to document those who had no descendants. A few years ago I did a full deep dive into one of my 2nd great-aunts, following her from cradle to grave. She was a fascinating woman and deserves to be remembered.
Great reminder.. I’ve been struggling with a line that just ended..except for me, and looking at DNA matches. It makes it challenging to start back 4-5 generations.