This blog is for the family and friends and Jack and Avis Jones, also referred to here as Mom and Dad. I have been working on our family history, on and off, since 1998, to trace our ancestors. I wanted to learn and share the stories of the men and women who came before us. They were women and men of courage. People who wanted better lives for themselves and their children and took a chance to make that happen. They emigrated from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Our ancestors and relatives have served in every major engagement the United States has undertaken, beginning with the American Revolution. Think about that for a moment. If the colonies had lost, many of our ancestors would have been branded as traitors and we might not be here. Luckily for us, we won and their descendants can now be members of the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution.
Many of us have heard stories of our ancestors. Some are true and some I have not been able to prove. Records can be sketchy at times, although I will say the Dutch that settled New Amsterdam were excellent record keepers. I’ll tell you what I find.
This is a labor of love. Not a genealogical blog that will have footnotes telling you exactly where I found things. Just know that if I’m writing about it, I’m pretty comfortable with my data and that I do have the citations for it. I’m hoping to publish a blog post twice a month. If I get really busy with my own life, that may not happen quite as often. I’m still researching and still enjoying the journey. These posts will not be chronological. It’s odd how I can find things many generations back in some lines, but am stuck at 1820 in another. Plus, I have a few favorite ancestors, so they will likely be shared early on.
Special thanks to Robbin Alcorn-Jones for suggesting the name of this blog.