The Genealogy Gene

OK, I don't actually believe there is such a thing as a Genealogy Gene. However, while going through some of the records my mother brought to me this Spring, I found the earliest evidence (so far) of an interest in genealogy. It's a letter, dating to 1861, from Philip Welsheimer III (my 4xgreat-grandfather) to his daughter, Anna Welsheimer Dean (my 3xgreat-grandmother), giving her a list of all of his children and their birthdates. I don't know why she wanted it (perhaps to add to a family bible?), but the interest was there many generations ago.