The passing of an era

Those of you who know much about me know that I really enjoy my genealogy work. I read the most amazing letter to the editor in my new Family Tree magazine that arrived today, and I just had to share it.

A lady from Kirkland, Illinois wrote:

"Last fall, I visited a neighboring county for a copy of my great-great-grandparents' marriage certificate. Although they could give me a copy, the clerk said I wouldn't be able to read it. I decided I would purchase it anyway. Perhaps I could make out a few words or the signatures.

"You can imagine my surprise when I could read the entire thing. 'I told you that you wouldn't be able to read it. It's written in cursive,' the young clerk said.

"I'd read that cursive wasn't being taught in schools, but it didn't occur to me that because it wasn't being taught, it also couldn't be read. We already have teachers in our schools who can't read cursive. Children will visit the National Archives and not be able to read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They won't be able to read their forefathers' war records. They won't even be able to read their ancestor's signatures.

"Family records, recipes and diaries will be lost to them. We'll have genealogists who won't be able to research handwritten vital records. This is a situation all of us must confront and correct. My husband and I are grateful that our grandchildren are attending a private school where cursive is being, and will be, taught. But what about the rest of America? What does this mean for genealogy?"

WOW. I had also heard that cursive wasn't being taught in public schools any more, but like this lady, I had not even thought about the impact on those who hope to research their family history. Way back before computers, or even typewriters, the most important, personal parts of records were all written in cursive. Printing presses allowed counties to have forms and churches to have Bibles, but names and dates were still filled in by hand - in cursive.  What a loss for future generations!