One morning as my grandmothers effects were packed, I spotted a little fire in the driveway. I rushed to the site to see what was being destroyed, and was surprised to see grandmother’s old bible burning in the ashes! My grandmother had passed in her mid sixties. She had treasured all of her keepsakes. And poof! All was gone! This memory stayed with me throughout my life. It was not until I began my genealogical research at the Georgia State Archives that I realized that I had seen the blaze of a disappearing era!
Finding births, dates, and marriages in bible records has gone out-of-style! For many years, families recorded their families in the family bible. I began collecting old bibles in the 1960s. Some bibles were saved in D. A. R. and Revolutionary War applications. Another possible source is local libraries and archives who microfilmed these keepsakes and retained them in their collection. No matter where you reside, there is a possible for finding this resource in a local library.
My collection of old Georgia bible records is online at georgiapioneers.com! Jeannette Holland Austin