My Story

Before I begin adding Selected Stories of My Ancestors, I suppose that I need to share a brief version of my own story and how I first got involved in my own family history.

In the late 1970’s, I found myself as a young widow at only twenty-four years of age.  Having lost my home and not attached to a career, I found myself back at home with my parents for several months as I sought solace and determined where to go with my young life.  During that time, I found it hard to focus on much of anything; as reading books, listening to music, and watching movies or TV often brought sad thoughts and tender memories.

To distract myself and focus instead on the stories of others, I began talking with my parents about their personal family histories.  Before long I was building a family tree, collecting copies of photos and recording information about my parents’ families.  Seeing my interest, my loving parents wrote and called their siblings and cousins and gathered more information to fill in gaps where they could.  During this time, I even took a trip to New York, my father’s birthplace, and Virginia and North Carolina to see some of my mother’s relatives.  It was the beginning of a lifetime interest in personal family genealogy.

As time moved on, so did I.  I found a job, and a place to live, and a new chapter in my life.  However, my newfound interest in family history stayed with me over the years to come.

In the last 40 years, my time spent researching my family history has come in spurts.  As I remarried, changed careers, and had a family, genealogical research remained a constant in my life.  Though the time I spent researching ebbed and flowed over the years, the lives and stories of my ancestors continues to fascinate me.

The internet has transformed the work of this family genealogist with access to millions of files and research generously shared by others.  It has connected me with family members and distant cousins who have shared invaluable insight into new branches and family connections. I look forward to continuing to expand my tree and finding overlaps with the trees of other amateur genealogists through this blog.

- Jane Scribner McCrary