I grew up in Southwestern Michigan. I always knew that my families had made their homes in that area for "a long time". I went away to college (Northern Michigan University) and subsequently met and married a career Air Force member. From then on my life seemed to be a constant move.
When we were stationed in Altus, Oklahoma, I was a young wife and mother and missed my family greatly. At this time I got interested in pedigreed show dogs as a hobby. This naturally lead me to wonder about my own pedigree so I started researching.
My paternal grandmother was a great source of information. Unfortunately most of it was faulty. I soon learned how important research was to getting it right. Since then much of my free time has been spent either on the ground or on the computer.
A while back I became wheelchair bound which limited my ability to do as much on site research so I became Internet addicted. I have been involved in different chat groups over the years. I really enjoy exchanging ideas with other researchers and am happy to help newcomers to the hobby get started.
It didn't take long for my family to recognize that I was the nut on the family tree, therefore the logical repository for all family information. I now own two Family Bibles, one on my side and one on my husbands side. I also retain membership in Heritage Quest and Ancestry and utilize Family Search and other Internet repositories.
As I am retired and my family is grown I now spend many hours each day on the Internet learning new things. I will be happy to share that knowledge as requested.
Current activities:
Chat Host:
Tuesday Evenings - General Genealogy
Friday Evenings - General Genealogy
I grew up hearing the stories of my parents' youth and tales of their ancestors. Often the stories were told to illustrate a point or a moral. I enjoyed hearing them and would imagine how it must have been like living in those times.
Later I encountered a Family History book on a table in a friend's home. I was fascinated as I turned the pages and visited the lives of their family members. Reviewing the neatly organized Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets, I wondered if I could create a similar record of my family.
When my mother began researching our genealogy in 1972, she and I formed yet another bond. We've exchanged information over the years ever since. Today, I do most of the research and I ply MUM for the stories that she remembers. Aye, there are Family Legends, some of which are true; I've proven them. Of course, the others are interesting yarns and make good fiction.
Now, as we help others in searching their Family History, I feel triply privileged. First, because I can associate with knowledgeable researchers such as my co-host Jayne. Second, because each new person I talk to has something new for me to examine and learn. And third, it is so rewarding to share the delight of others who enjoy this avocation.
Areas of expertise:
Research and Analysis. Focus: Primary documents, new approaches, and Internet research.
Current activities:
Chat Host:
Saturday mornings on AOL -- Mugs & Hugs
Monday evenings on AOL -- GENTREK
Thursday evenings on GLF -- GENTREK
Web Designer:
http://www.ShoeStringGenealogy.com/ssg1.htm
Genealogy Lecturer:
Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas
RAOGK Volunteer:
Tarrant County, Texas
NARA Research Specialist:
Native American Ancestry, Oklahoma, and Texas
My name is Debbie. I live in Eastern, MA. Yes, very close to Salem, MA, the witch town. I have been interested in genealogy since I was in my teens. My grandmother started researching about 30 years before she passed away. When we used to go over to her house, she'd have all kinds of papers around and the curiosity in me had to know what they all were. Then when she passed away it first went to my aunt then to me. It was a few years before I could started researching. So it all sat in a box for awhile. Unfortunately a lot is missing. So its now up to me to make any corrections (and there are a few) and add new info.
I enjoy my grandson, local history, learning about the Civil War, and enjoy doing look ups for others. I belong to New England Historical Genealogical Society and Peabody Historical Society.
I am a floater host in the lookups chat. I also substitute host on some of the Aol chats. Mostly the Civil War chat which is on Thursday night at 11 PM est and Friday nights at 10 PM est. Current activities:
Chat Host:
Friday evenings on GLF -- Paranormal Genealogy
Floater Host
