In the beginning...

I’ve finally decided that I should start a blog. I’ve read several blogs and they are quite good, so we will see how mine turns out! I can’t promise that I will blog every day, or even every week… but definitely now and then!

Why now? Because it’s time that I actually put to words some of my thoughts, passions, discoveries and insights.

I am the family historian. I declared this title in 1998, around the time that Genealogy and research were starting to make the news. Yes, I caught the bug from a magazine article. It was a tiny little paragraph, I think now, about Cyndi’s List. And it’s led me on a wonderful adventure so far, including finding cousins and discovering family I never knew about. A bunch of research trips and many an hour researching online and still, I am fascinated by the puzzle. It’s a crazy, mixed up kind of puzzle and every little piece found gives me immense satisfaction and a joyful zing in my heart.

I don’t have really that many famous relatives… at least none have shown up yet. And a bunch were farmers, but some were printers, lawyers, jewelers and musicians and I’m still discovering more as I go along. But since they didn’t stick out so much, didn’t make the news, kept to themselves pretty much… it has made the research more challenging. And ever so much more rewarding when I discover them in various hiding places.

And I research my husband’s line as well, and since I didn’t grow up with his stories and tales, it’s a little harder. I remember, early on, after asking about his family and recording what I had so far, discovering through census records that he had great aunts who were twins. When I told him what I had found… he said, “Oh, yeah… Gertie and Gussie… I knew about them”. Thanks a lot, hun!

Some of the family lines I am researching… on my side: Paternal surnames : COHOE (all spellings), CAMPBELL (MS, TN), BELL (MS, TN), JOHNSTON (MS), FARRINGTON (NY, Canada), WILLSON (CANADA). Maternal surnames: ORR (KY), POE (OH), FEILDING (OH, Ireland), MALONEY (OH, Ireland), THOMAS (OH, WV), WILSON (OH).

Hubbie’s surnames: SHULTZ (OH, PA, Germany), CLARK (OH, PA), SULIVAN ( OH, Ireland), RICE, (OH), WITHROW (OH, PA), SHAFER (OH, PA), HILLARD (KY), ROBINSON (KY), HOLLAND (KY), LUNSFORD (KY).

Of course, there are lots more out there. I’ve done pretty well in my research… most of them have been found in the Censuses and other public records. I am now working on finding siblings and the elusive relative or two that can’t be found. And I have not ‘crossed the pond’ on the majority of my surnames.

So now, you know a little about me and my research. I will work on this just like I work on the family history… a little here and a little there. My plan is to write about my journey thus far on this interesting voyage of discovery. More to come!