Welcome

My passion for genealogy started when I was a mere 10 years old. “Queen,” the 1993 movie about Alex Haley’s grandmother, was a miniseries on television. Just like when “Roots” came on in 1997, families, especially African American families, began tracing their family tree more extensively.

My class took a field trip to the Paul Lawrence Dunbar house, where I bought My Family Tree Workbook by Rosemary Chorzempa. I eagerly sat with my parents and asked them questions about their family. My mother’s story took me across the Pacific to Fukuoka, Japan, where her family owns a restaurant. My father’s stories told me of this mother’s side in Cartersville, GA, and a family mystery of his father, who was born in Michigan and raised in Tennessee, but never discussed his family.

When I was around 12, my class had a family tree assignment and we were given the same workbook that I had purchased a couple years earlier. I filled it out with my previous information, plus some new information that my parents remembered. Even with the Internet in its infancy, I didn’t think to look up any more information about my family and I rested on my information until I became and adult.

After going to college, I discovered ancestry.com. I had a trial, which I looked up my grandfather’s name. I found him on the social security death index. Eager to learn more information about him, I sent off for a copy of his social security application. I almost forgot about it until it came in the mail. I happily showed my father, who learned the name of my great-grandfather. We already knew my great-grandmother’s name since one of my aunts was named after her. I interviewed a couple of my aunts and gathered some more information, and sat on this information for a few more years.

In 2005, I subscribed for a year of ancestry.com. I dug deeper into my family tree, and found my grandfather and his parents in Tennessee. I then turned to my grandmother’s side and dug deeper there. Through 2006, I was able to trace that side back to 1870. I compiled my information and created a book that I printed and bound for a few family members by Christmas 2006. I was happy to give my father the book, and it brought up more memories for him.

I expanded my family search on my grandmother’s side to her cousins, but my search died down when my subscription expired in 2007. Unfortunately, my father passed away unexpectedly in July 2007. I was devastated and my life changed a great deal. I moved back home to take care of things and started a new job. However, this year, I’m back on the search again to tie up my family’s legacy. I have also started to help my friends trace their family trees.

I started this blog to take note of my journey of genealogical research, and I hope to help my friends and others who may need help in their family search.