Every journey begins in much the same way. You have a desire to go somewhere. You plan your trip. You begin the journey.
My journey into the realm of genealogy began with a desire to learn more about my family history. I didn’t know much more than a few stories told to me by my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I wanted to know more about the people making up the branches of my family tree.
The initial plan for my journey was spawned by a request from my father. He wanted to see if I could help him track down his brother’s children from a previous marriage. I also had a few destinations of my own in mind. I wanted to track down more information about my Dad’s family in Missouri. I knew they had made a journey of their own from the East, but where and when did their journey begin?
So with these goals in mind, my path was set, and so I began.
As with some journeys, the road is not always easy. To get from point A to point B, you may have to take a detour or two and face some setbacks. What starts out as a simple trip can become a complex series of twists and turns, and what you thought might be easy becomes a more difficult challenge. However, when you find that elusive piece of information that ties everything together, the thrill is as exciting as anything out of an Indiana Jones movie.
I hope to share with you some of the destinations I’ve discovered in my journey; the people I’ve encountered in my research, and some of the tools I’ve used in getting from point A to point B. I also hope to share a few missteps I’ve made, and hope my mistakes can help others in avoiding them in their own adventures in ancestry.
