Marcel Kasmer is a bit of a history buff and always wanted to know more about his past. So when his wife Anastacia found out they were expecting twins, the couple sought the help of Ancestry® and AncestryDNA®. While they were already raising their 19-month-old son Mäel, Marcel and Anastacia wanted to create something to ensure their children would know their family's history.
Ancestry provided Marcel with the context he needed to put together the pieces of a sprawling family history. "When you grow up as a multiracial kid, you start to realize how unique it is once you get older," says Marcel. "You do think about legacy as you get older." That legacy in question would show Marcel roots in Eastern Europe and Africa, and a past woven into multiple aspects of American history.
"All the things that I learned through Ancestry — photos I hadn't seen, articles I hadn't seen, signatures I hadn't seen, learning last names I didn't know — it just continues to add layers to the story." Marcel and Anastacia want to share these stories with their children through a gallery wall for the nursery, made up of photos, documents, poems and artifacts, bringing their past to life in order to teach their children who they are.
"I love history. I always wanted to know more about my family history. This is where I came from. It's in my roots," Marcel says. "I'm really proud that I'm always standing on the shoulders of my grandparents and my parents and just trying to continue what they started."