Getting Started

Have you ever wondered "is there anyone famous in my family?" or possibly "I wonder where we came from" if so you are not alone. Especially here in the United States, being a country of immigrants mixed with aboriginal peoples we frequently have no clue what our lineage is beyond our living family.

I started on my genealogy journey more than 11 yrs ago. I found a piece of paper amongst pictures my mother had tucked away. It was an old photocopy of what appeared to be a family tree that started at my Great Grandfather and went back to the first in his line to immigrate to the colonies back in 1624. Many of the names were illegible and the way it was constructed was confusing. So I made a copy of it and began trying to decipher it.

Shortly after, my curiosity stoked, I started asking questions about the other branches of my family tree, and I got some fascinating answers. I heard names like Von Reichenbach, Swinehart, Judd, Clark, Ketchepaw and many others. But, even more interesting, the stories that accompanied them were amazing. Little did I know that the stories the family knew were only a small part of the story of us.

I had head stories that included William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and his brother General George Rogers Clark, and stories of an ancestor that worked with Thomas Edison. I heard stories of our Native American ancestors and of Cowboys on cattle drives. When I dug in the surprises I found both disappointed and impressed me. I found a much deeper appreciation for where I come from, and for the struggles that have made this country what it is. What I found was that we have a very American family.

I decided to write this blog, even though no one is waiting to read this first post when I post it, because I want to share our story but also as a way to keep a record of my work. The first couple posts will be more historical to record my experiences in research over the last 11 yrs. From then on though I will document my continuing research and findings, my genealogy education and experience, and hopefully provide access to my research for other genealogists to reference. Hopefully somewhere along the way I gain an audience!