Today’s very important question comes to you from guest writer Audrey! You can find out more about her and the rest of the Eleventh Stack team on our About Us page.
Who do you think you are?
That is the question! And who is most likely to be asking this question? Genealogists!
It is the question that propels us to climb our family tree. It is the question that drives us to a state of obsession. We forsake all other interests and obligations as we pursue those elusive ancestors through libraries, archives, and yes…even cemeteries. How many of us have sacrificed our own personal comfort to trudge along endless rows of unreadable tombstones as we are baked by the sun, bitten by vicious insects, and attacked by savage weeds. Don’t kid yourself. Genealogy requires grit and stamina and tenacity (as well as assorted bottles of sun screen, insect repellent and hydro-cortisone cream). If you are lucky, a trip to the emergency room can be avoided.
Everybody wants to get in on the act! Click through for more advice from Skipease. Image copyright as cited within photo.
This is also the name of a wildly popular genealogy television series that traces the ancestry of celebrities. All seven episodes of Season 4 were rebroadcast on TLC on Sunday, July 20 and will be repeated on July 23.
Episode one will be aired at 1:00 PM (Eastern Standard time) followed every hour by another episode. The featured celebrities in the fourth season are Chris O’Donnell, Cindy Crawford, Zooey Deschanel, Kelly Clarkson, Chelsea Handler, Jim Parsons, and Christina Applegate. Each episode follows a celebrity as they explore their family tree, uncovering the mysteries of his or her ancestral history. Their stories are framed within real historic events. The new Season 5 of Who Do You Think You Are? begins on July 23 when actress Cynthia Nixon uncovers an ancestral mystery of deceit and murder. This episode will air at 9:00 PM Eastern time on TLC.
[FYI… the DVDs for Seasons 1 and 2 are available in the Library. The segment on Ashley Judd in Season 2 is particularly fascinating and poignant. Even if genealogy is not your thing, you may enjoy watching your favorite celebrity trace their family roots back through time.]
Who do YOU think you are?
To help you to answer this question and to begin to climb your own family tree, bring your questions to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213.
Or call: 412-622-3154.
Or check out our website.
Answers to your genealogical questions are just a call or click away.
Our experienced staff is here to assist you.
–Audrey
Eleventh Stack 
Good post Audrey…I hear those phones in PA Dept. ringing right now :)