It Is Well With My Soul – Finding Ancestors Amid the Rubble of Disaster and Misfortune

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Summary Details

Length: 60 minutes

Summary: Our ancestors persevered in spite of disaster and misfortune so that we could be here today to tell their stories. Learn how to locate evidence of their experiences and how to add their first-hand accounts to that body of evidence.

Description: Horatio Spafford, author of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul, overcame immense tragedy, misfortune and disaster (the death of his only son, the Great Chicago Fire, a shipwreck which killed his four remaining daughters) to not only stay true to his values but to help others and still keep a positive outlook on life. How did our ancestors persevere and survive in the face of disaster – natural, manmade and financial – so that we could be here today to tell their stories? Learn how to not only locate your ancestors amidst the rubble, but give voice to their stories.

Audience Level: Beginner

Requirements: Projection for laptop/netbook computer on large screen; internet connection – wired or wireless (preferred in order to show live websites and resources).

Content: 4 pages

Outline

  • Our Ancestors Persevered
    • Horatio Spafford, author of It Is Well With My Soul
  • A Variety of Misfortunes and Disasters
    • Death: It’s Only Natural (natural disasters)
    • Technology Can Kill (manmade disasters)
    • Filthy Deadly Money (financial disasters)
  • Dead Men (and Women) Do Tell Tales
    • Tales of Disaster – and How to Find Them
    • Locating Your Ancestors Among The Aftermath
  • Giving Voice to the Silent
    • Ways to Add Your Family’s Stories
      • GenDisasters
      • Family Interviews – Disasters Becoming Personal
      • Disastrous Writing
  • Glossary
  • Links

©2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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