I did a thing for my genealogy page on Facebook (Genealogy by Brecca) a little over a year ago. It was a pedigree, of sorts, just showing the causes of death for my ancestors. I started it with my Grandparents - then went back further.
My paternal Grandfather died of cancer -- it started out bladder cancer and spread to a lot of other places. My paternal Grandmother died young of a massive heart attack. My maternal Grandfather suffered multiple sclerosis for 35 years before it finally took him. My maternal Grandmother, her death certificate said cardiac arrest due to hypertension, dementia, and depression.
My Great-Grandparents -- heart attack, don't know (no death certificate available yet), heart attack, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer, heart attack, and supposedly Alzheimer's (but I actually wonder if it was Parkinson's with dementia.)
My 2x Grandparents -- cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, hypertension, bronchial pneumonia, cardiac decompensation, pulmonary tuberculosis, cerebral thrombosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, don't know (death certificate not available), cerebral hemorrhage, coronary thrombosis, don't know (death certificate not available), cerebral hemorrhage, and stomach cancer.
My 3x Grandparents (I'll just list the ones I know instead of all the 'don't know's) -- chronic nephritis, liver cancer, cardiovascular heart disease, chronic nephritis, apoplexy, endocarditis, apoplexy, organic heart disease, tuberculosis, organic heart disease, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, chronic nephritis, senility, senility, consumption (tuberculosis), pneumonia, chronic nephritis, dysentery, cardiovascular heart disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease.
4x Grandparents -- labor pneumonia, chronic nephritis, senility, and senility.
My paternal Grandfather died of cancer -- it started out bladder cancer and spread to a lot of other places. My paternal Grandmother died young of a massive heart attack. My maternal Grandfather suffered multiple sclerosis for 35 years before it finally took him. My maternal Grandmother, her death certificate said cardiac arrest due to hypertension, dementia, and depression.
My Great-Grandparents -- heart attack, don't know (no death certificate available yet), heart attack, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer, heart attack, and supposedly Alzheimer's (but I actually wonder if it was Parkinson's with dementia.)
My 2x Grandparents -- cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, hypertension, bronchial pneumonia, cardiac decompensation, pulmonary tuberculosis, cerebral thrombosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, don't know (death certificate not available), cerebral hemorrhage, coronary thrombosis, don't know (death certificate not available), cerebral hemorrhage, and stomach cancer.
My 3x Grandparents (I'll just list the ones I know instead of all the 'don't know's) -- chronic nephritis, liver cancer, cardiovascular heart disease, chronic nephritis, apoplexy, endocarditis, apoplexy, organic heart disease, tuberculosis, organic heart disease, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, chronic nephritis, senility, senility, consumption (tuberculosis), pneumonia, chronic nephritis, dysentery, cardiovascular heart disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease.
4x Grandparents -- labor pneumonia, chronic nephritis, senility, and senility.
Further back than that - it was before the use of death certificates and most of the times death ledgers didn't even show the cause of death, which irks me. They don't mention the cemetery they're buried in either which makes me so sad and frustrated.
It's safe to say that I've got a little bit of everything that runs in the family -- especially heart problems, kidney problems, diabetes, and honestly, something happening to the brain (cerebral hemorrhages and cerebral thrombosis). Honestly the ones that passed of 'senility,' I think just died of natural causes / old age. But, senility might have just been the coroner's 'easy way of filling out the death certificate' without doing an autopsy, etc.
I know cancer runs in the family - of all different kinds, shapes, and sizes, so to speak. Stomach cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, the list could go on and on.
My paternal Grandmother dying at 48 years old (in 1982) of a massive heart attack... she was a small lady, only about 5' and heck, she probably only weighed 115 pounds, if that.. Now that I'm 240+ pounds, my heart has been hurting this year and not just from my constant depression. I've started working out quite vigorously in the last month and I've lost five pounds so far.. but my heart still hurts. I believe I have cardiovascular heart disease. I think I probably have organic heart disease as well. Possibly even arteriosclerotic heart disease. I know I inherited my maternal Grandpa's heart murmur.
I know cancer runs in the family - of all different kinds, shapes, and sizes, so to speak. Stomach cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, the list could go on and on.
My paternal Grandmother dying at 48 years old (in 1982) of a massive heart attack... she was a small lady, only about 5' and heck, she probably only weighed 115 pounds, if that.. Now that I'm 240+ pounds, my heart has been hurting this year and not just from my constant depression. I've started working out quite vigorously in the last month and I've lost five pounds so far.. but my heart still hurts. I believe I have cardiovascular heart disease. I think I probably have organic heart disease as well. Possibly even arteriosclerotic heart disease. I know I inherited my maternal Grandpa's heart murmur.
I'm predisposed to end up with type 2 diabetes. It wouldn't surprise me if I end up with some type of kidney disease before my life is over, and probably some type of cancer. I've already dealt with a cervical cancer scare already and that was a few years ago.
As a genealogist - I certainly believe it's important to go back, if you're able, and look at the death certificates of your ancestors to see what their causes of death were. It's important to know your family health history. Even if that's the only reason you get interested in your family tree - it's a pretty good reason to get interested.
Let me know if you've ever found an interesting cause of death while working on your family tree. I'd love to hear the story of it!
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