I became seriously interested in genealogy in 2008 and have been an avid researcher since, though I would say I work on it in surges.  I had dabbled a couple times in my ancestry, earlier, but casually, at best.  I typically do not use pay sites, such as Ancestry.com.  I will join it for a month every so many years, to check for updates, and I do have a tree there, but one must be careful to verify, within reason, what they discover there.  Like many genealogy sites, sometimes people's needs outweigh truth and reality.  I usually use Google, the library, cross-referencing, people's wills, Find-a-Grave and other cemetery sites, and some hard copy stuff for research (when I'm lucky enough to come across it).

I have only recently begun to cite entries.  I try to include notes, stories, and biographies about people when the opportunity arises. Genealogy allows me to make connections with blood relatives from my past.  Stories, short histories, newspaper articles, etc., bring them off the page, giving them life to me, adding emotional content and making their lives much more personal and real.

I have decided to keep this site dedicated to American ancestors.  There will be no inclusion of anyone who wasn't born and/or died in the USA (could be posted in notes, though).  I also plan to enter direct blood lines.  You won't find many siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins entered here (unless connected to another family line).  I know of two gateway family members, thus far, as well as many others whose families continue back into foreign countries.  Much of this history is documented on my other site (look in links) if you want to go further back.

If you find we are distant cousins, for I have found a few during research, please drop me a note and say "Hi John".