Introduction to Me and My Stories

My forebears have been traced back to a handful of northern European countries, including Germany, Holland, France and Britain. Many of my ancestors were pioneers, among the first to settle in New Amsterdam (now known as Manhattan, New York) and Germantown, Pennsylvania in the early 1600s.

This blog will feature stories that I write about my foreparents, beginning with my father and mother. Naturally, at first, these stories will appeal to my immediate family. But, I can imagine that as my family tree expands to hundreds of surnames and places, my audience may also grow. My goal is to share what I have learned and to gain this storage place for my gathered information. I will do my best to cite my sources though I am not a professional genealogist. I intend to focus my attention on the storytelling, though I am not a professional writer, either.

At this point, I should say that I am a retired music educator who became interested in my family history a few years before my retirement in June 1994. I had no idea how long it would take for me to learn how to discover my roots, let alone how involving it would be. It has been a revelation and a joy to keep on finding my heritage. Yes, I know now that the joy and the finding will continue forever.