My family history exploration came after a 1981 Family reunion in London, Ontario, Canada. It was there, that I first saw my paternal family tree. I was hooked. Not only did I get to learn about part of my family's history, I met relatives that I never knew I had, some of which I still remain in contact with. I believe that genealogy expands our knowledge of not only where we came from, but who and why we are. Through the discovery of our history we can better understand how we came to be. We are fortunate to be living now when we can easily access records from our computers without traveling over an ocean. Heightened interest in genealogy has caused information that was inaccessible to become easy to access. DNA analysis has broadened our perspective of who we really are despite what a piece of paper says. Regardless of the opinion of some, we are really all one people. I challenge you to start with what you know--names, dates, places and start on the odyssey that is you.
My family research experience includes DAR/SAR Lineage applications, research for Scottish, Irish, German and Eastern European ancestors, cemetery and gravestone lookups, DNA, medical history and Colorado mining history.