Left Behind Dead or Alive: Finding Answers from Those Who Remained

When our ancestors packed their bags and crossed an ocean or state line, someone always stayed behind—and those people may hold the keys to a family’s story. It may be FAM Club members such as a sister who never left the old country, a grandfather buried in the hometown cemetery, or descendants of relatives still living in an ancestral community. Or it could be FAN Club members such as witnesses, sponsors, and neighbors. Those “left behind” create a rich paper trail of records, relationships, and perhaps even memories.