The Northeastern Pennsylvania Genealogical Society in Hanover, Pennsylvania may seem an odd place to find this Virginia root hunter. But one of the perks of belonging to my local library is accessing their subscription to Family Search files which includes ALL the digital files within the vast Salt Lake City-based repository. Every Thursday you can … Continue reading Mystery Among the Roots
Dodson
Leaf Litter from the Family Tree
The leaves from our deciduous forests are turning yellow, or brown, and dropping with alacrity to the ground. They carpet every surface--grass, water, rocks, moss, driveways. For years I have used the family tree metaphor to structure my genealogical research. Only today did it strike me that leaf litter can also be an inspirational metaphor, … Continue reading Leaf Litter from the Family Tree
Points of View
I look through a viewfinder at least once a day. Photography makes me practice seeing different points of view; the very act of framing the familiar often reveals a hidden detail that adds unexpected meaning, an "aha!" that leaves me changed. Genealogy can be a framing exercise too, with questions serving as viewfinder. During research on my dad's neighbors, the Crute family, … Continue reading Points of View
Surname Saturday–The Crutes of Mecklenburg County
Brainstorming and journaling are good for the future Sorting through my family lore stash, I came across two sheets of yellow paper, folded into quarters. My father, Norman Strickland, had distinctive handwriting, the product of his years as an electrical engineer. So even though the bulleted pencil notes were not dated or signed, I recognized … Continue reading Surname Saturday–The Crutes of Mecklenburg County
Reclaiming all the past
These thoughts are for all you white family historians out there. Particularly the ones who are, like me, struggling to tell the unmentionable, the dishonorable chapters of our ancestors' lives. The plot lines of which extend into our own days, leaving us uncomfortable with our race. Our whiteness. I have been silent on this blog space, … Continue reading Reclaiming all the past
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 