An Excerpt from When Descendants Become Ancestors "Congratulationsyoure going to be an ancestor (someday). You cannot escape it. Nor can I. Nor can anyone else. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your beliefs about an afterlife, but each body ultimately ceases to exist. We all know that. From the moment of birth, each of us begins a journey that must ultimately conclude with our entrance into ancestry. As we research our own ancestors and mourn the lack of information available to us, we forget that we are the future ancestors of our descendants. And if we dont leave to them the kinds of information about our lives that we crave to know about our own forefathers, then we are merely perpetuating the problem." How often have you regretted your failure to engage the elder generations of your family for information about their lives and memories? How many times have you wanted just one more hour with a deceased relative who could answer that one burning question that you suddenly thought about, and that no one else can answer? Perhaps you remember a time when an older acquaintance wanted to share with you some stories about the good old days, but you couldnt be bothered. Most of us have had regrets like these, as will our descendantsunless we seek to record and preserve some stories for their use. Whether our stories are short and simple or long and complex matters not, but these stories will become part of their heritage and can certainly influence their lives. Though our contributions may not be recognized for decades, our lives matter to future generations and our stories should be told. The rest is up to each of us.

Ancestry magazine focuses on genealogy for today’s family historian, with tips for using Ancestry.com, advice from family history experts, and success stories from genealogists across the globe. Regular features include “Found!” by Megan Smolenyak, reader-submitted heritage recipes, Howard Wolinsky’s tech-driven “NextGen,” feature articles, a timeline, how-to tips for Family Tree Maker, and insider insight to new tools and records at Ancestry.com. Ancestry magazine is published 6 times yearly by Ancestry Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com.

Corey Michaels wanted nothing more than to publish her history book on an old, poor farm. It was something she had worked hard to complete, the story of 150 years on a county poor farm in her town. It all began with a tombstone unlike the others in the cemetery. Once the book was published, Michaels began to have sinister dreams of events yet to come. The dreams were about loved ones being harmed and of others she never knew. After accepting an invitation to speak to the dead, a dark evil that remained buried for more than 125 years awakened. Her life spiraled downward and as a result she experienced an “awakening” of her own. This unearthed a secret within herself that was buried long, long ago, and now jeopardized the lives of those around her. Lost Souls shares the story of Corey Michaels in the form of journal entries and recorded therapy sessions. This book, inspired by actual events, demonstrates how the mind and soul can affect ourselves and those around us in every aspect of life.