I woke to this thought--I live three hours from my great-great-grandfather’s childhood home. The weather report promised spring sun and warm temperatures, perfect for a cemetery hunt. I gassed up my car, plotted out my routes, and headed out west through the Endless Mountains. I couldn’t help wondering why Ira Sayles’ parents and grandparents picked up … Continue reading On The Trail To Tioga
Howland
Surname Saturday: Old Family Histories – Gospel or Clue?
I have sworn to produce more and consume less in 2013; write more, research less; read more books and fewer status updates. I have stumbled a bit in the last week, as I prepared for the Family History Writing Challenge. Determined to set a rich social context for my protaganist, Ira Sayles, I returned to … Continue reading Surname Saturday: Old Family Histories – Gospel or Clue?
Surname Saturday: Preparing for the Family History Writing Challenge
Your ancestor sits amid the details, seemingly solitary, independent, like a mushroom poking through tangled blades. Upon further investigation, you discover others by his side: parents, aunts and uncles, children, cousins, neighbors, bosses, friends, enemies - a figurative forest of 'srooms. The simple family history narrative that the Family History Writing Challenge beckoned you to … Continue reading Surname Saturday: Preparing for the Family History Writing Challenge
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 