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I have many interests, but the one I am most fascinated in is the quest to find my ancestors. I have always wondered about past family members and am in awe of the fact that choices they made had an effect on me. I'm a strong believer in "cause and effect". If these ancestors hadn't met and married I wouldn't even be here! If my Jewish ancestors hadn't immigrated from Russia and Poland, what then? Would the line have ended during the Holocaust? I have a very interesting lineage. One that I am extremely proud of. All my research is in the hopes that my children will one day take an interest in this genealogy. If not, well, it's here for anyone else who may take an interest in it. |
I was born in Norfolk, VA at DePaul Hospital. I was raised in Chesapeake, VA and lived there until I was 16 years old. At sixteen, my family moved to the Western North Carolina mountains. I remember so many "family times" while living in Virginia. It seemed to me we were always getting together. Both sets of my grandparents lived in Chesapeake, and I was very close to both of my grandmothers. I remember the times me and my maternal grandmother would catch the bus and spend the whole day in Norfolk shopping. She would tell me stories of when she was growing up and when she was a young woman, and she was always trying to teach me words in Yiddish, but, unfortunately, most of those stories and Yiddish words have been forgotten. It's really a shame I didn't take notes like I do now! Who knew I would grow up and decide to preserve my heritage? I also remember how my paternal grandmother could spend hours "seeing" images in the clouds. I'd spend the day with her, and we would lay out in her yard and look up into the sky imagining all sorts of things. I'm sure she really did see things, but of course I just made things up! My mom has told me of the times she would bundle me and my brother up and we would go to Norfolk and have a picnic in the church yard at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Is that when the seeds were planted for my fascination with cemeteries? I never knew my maternal grandfather. I only met him twice. He was a Merchant Marine. He was also the love of my grandmother's life. After talking to many family members, I believe those two loved each other to the very end. I have very deep roots in the soil of Virginia, and even though now I live in Atlanta, GA I try to go back to Virginia every chance I get.
I am married to a wonderful man who understands my need to turn every family vacation into a research trip! He has spent more time in cemeteries looking for graves of my ancestors than I care to admit........and he always does it with a smile. He's the one who keeps me focused on what I start out to find because I tend to get overly excited when I do find something and then I forget the other things I'm looking for! My kids have also been great. They patiently wait out the "research" part of all vacations--knowing that eventually we'll get to the "fun stuff"! Thanks guys!
So, as you can see, I am slightly addicted to this genealogy thing!
I hope everyone who stops by my site will leave with something they were looking for---- or at least with a smile on their face!
Happy hunting everyone!
