Healthy and Happy in 2025

Discovering your family history can tell you about your health history.  Many of the resources we use when researching our family’s history can give us information about our ancestor’s health as well as our potential for developing certain diseases.

DNA

One of the best known is DNA testing.  Many DNA testing companies are offering genetic health screening along with ancestry results.  These tests can indicate if you have a greater chance of catching or developing certain disease conditions.  They can also tell you how tolerant your body is of medications, helping you make better health decisions.

Hittin the Books!

Many of the records we collect when researching our family’s history have health information.   For much of its history the U.S. has been concerned with the health of its citizens.  Probably the most obvious is death certificates.  Most of these certificates recorded within the last 150 years have some type of information that was filled out by a doctor indicating when and how a person died and often their health history.  Finding a specific condition repeatedly in your ancestors death certificates might indicate a need for special attention to that area of your health.

Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s the U.S. Census asked questions about health.  Some were direct, like a listing of disabilities, but some were subtle indications of a person’s or family’s health, such as asking a mother how many of her children were still living. 

Another place to learn about your family’s health history is the records of the Probate Court, which recorded guardianships and declarations of whether a person was physically or mentally disabled and needed someone to care for them.  These records often tell only the person’s condition and who was to care for them, but sometimes included the person’s symptoms, what assets they had, and the family relationship of their caregivers.

We all know the best thing for our health is to prevent sickness before it happens.  Learning your health history and what health risks are in our family’s history can help us develop a lifestyle to prevent those conditions before they happen.  Remember, health and happiness go hand in hand!

For help discovering your family’s history, contact us today!