The First Post

I have loved genealogy and history since childhood.  When I was a girl the American Girl books and dolls came out.  I fondly remember reading Meet Kirsten with my grandfather at his home in Florida.  As we read the book, he told me the story of how his grandmother came to America on a similar journey.  A little later back at home my father showed me a booklet one of his relatives had prepared of his direct paternal family line, and I learned when and how that part of the family came to America, and read about all the generations between us.  Since my father was a computer guy, we got an early version of Family Tree Maker and installed it on my computer.  I could put the information from that booklet in there, and add even more about other sides of the family.  Later on I excitedly received updates to Family Tree Maker as Christmas presents.

When I was in high school my father took me to the National Archives branch an hour from our home so we could learn more about our family.  We looked through reels of microfilm, both soundex and population schedules.  We bonded over family.  The week of my sixteenth birthday we traveled three hours to the small town my father was from, looking up vital records in the county clerk’s office and visiting family headstones in the cemetery.  As a senior I mentored a classmate learning about genealogy for a senior project.

I went on to college to earn degrees in engineering, and worked as an engineer.  All along I continued to love researching family history.  I took the home study course given by National Genealogical Society (NGS).  I prepared my application for and joined the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  I have had a number of relatives take DNA tests.  Now I am a stay-at-home mom to three children.  I have learned a good deal about researching family history.  This week my favorite genealogy blogger, Dick Eastman, wrote a post encouraging others to write personal genealogy blogs.  I think it is time for me to start sharing what I have learned about genealogy so that it may help inform others.  Here we go.  Wishing you the best on your journey.

Genealogy Mom