Genealogy has become more than just a hobby for me—it's a way of understanding where I come from and who I am. Working through my family tree, tracing many family lines and finding connections with ancestors like Jennie Berdahl, who married the acclaimed author Ole Rølvaag, has given me a profound sense of grounding and purpose.

As Rølvaag himself wrote in 1926: "It is vital in all cultural life to maintain a link between the present and the past. If there is anything that history makes clear it is this, that when a people becomes interested in its past life, seeks to acquire knowledge in or better to understand itself, it always experiences an awakening of new life."

(See Blegen, Land of Their Choice, p. 596.)

This quote perfectly captures what I've discovered through my genealogical research. Each name, each date, each story I uncover isn't just historical data—it's part of a living conversation across generations. When I learn about and see the large families of the 1700's, 1800s and early 1900s in my family tree, I'm reminded that I'm part of something much larger than myself.

Through this work, I've found that understanding my past doesn't just honor those who came before me—it awakens something vital in my own life. Every ancestor's story adds depth to my own understanding of resilience, connection, and what it means to be part of an ongoing human story that stretches far beyond any single lifetime.