A few people have asked me to make a Bio, and I'm not really sure what to say. lol All my ancestors are from Western NC. So many counties were split into new counties that it is hard to narrow them down. I do know that they come from the following counties: Surry, Rowan, Wilkes, Ashe, Watauga, Avery, Caldwell, and probably Mitchell. I've traced most of them to Wilkes and Ashe.

My parents were Robert Howard "Bob" Shirley and Rhoda Lillian "Lil"Blackburn Shirley.

My maternal grandparents are Wiley Shafter Blackburn and Zora Elizabeth Church Blackburn.

My paternal grandparents are Robert Lewis Shirley and Ethel Cheek Shirley.

Some of my other direct lines are Elmore, Mikeal/Michael, Payne, Soots, Watson, Shoemaker with all its varied spellings, Milsaps, Sherrill, Woodruff, Phillips, Yates, McNeil, Laws, as well as others.

My Laws line dead ends with Rebecca Becky Laws, who married William Walter Payne about 1850. I have been unable to determine who her parents are, sad to say.

I have a lot of connections to the Greenes, although I don't have a direct line to any of them.

I learned about Find a Grave from my late cousin, Bianca Stout. She was immensely helpful in getting me started, and in helping me with my Church line. Sadly, she passed away in 2011, and she is greatly missed.

I love working with FaG, and I try for 100% accuracy. If I have put a picture on any memorial, you are more than welcome to take a copy. My thinking is that if I don't want others to have it, then I keep it off the computer! ;-) I am happy to share pictures, because I want others who may not have a picture of their ancestor to be able to put a face to the name. I have never seen a picture of my Church grandfather or great-grandfather, and I hope that one day I may run into someone on FaG who descends from my line. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

As for transfers, I don't mind transferring to a family member regardless of relationship, unless they are directly related to me. Even then I might consider it, as I am getting on up in years.

God Bless everyone who has worked so hard to make this such a great site for all to enjoy!!

A few people have asked me to make a Bio, and I'm not really sure what to say. lol All my ancestors are from Western NC. So many counties were split into new counties that it is hard to narrow them down. I do know that they come from the following counties: Surry, Rowan, Wilkes, Ashe, Watauga, Avery, Caldwell, and probably Mitchell. I've traced most of them to Wilkes and Ashe.

My parents were Robert Howard "Bob" Shirley and Rhoda Lillian "Lil"Blackburn Shirley.

My maternal grandparents are Wiley Shafter Blackburn and Zora Elizabeth Church Blackburn.

My paternal grandparents are Robert Lewis Shirley and Ethel Cheek Shirley.

Some of my other direct lines are Elmore, Mikeal/Michael, Payne, Soots, Watson, Shoemaker with all its varied spellings, Milsaps, Sherrill, Woodruff, Phillips, Yates, McNeil, Laws, as well as others.

My Laws line dead ends with Rebecca Becky Laws, who married William Walter Payne about 1850. I have been unable to determine who her parents are, sad to say.

I have a lot of connections to the Greenes, although I don't have a direct line to any of them.

I learned about Find a Grave from my late cousin, Bianca Stout. She was immensely helpful in getting me started, and in helping me with my Church line. Sadly, she passed away in 2011, and she is greatly missed.

I love working with FaG, and I try for 100% accuracy. If I have put a picture on any memorial, you are more than welcome to take a copy. My thinking is that if I don't want others to have it, then I keep it off the computer! ;-) I am happy to share pictures, because I want others who may not have a picture of their ancestor to be able to put a face to the name. I have never seen a picture of my Church grandfather or great-grandfather, and I hope that one day I may run into someone on FaG who descends from my line. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

As for transfers, I don't mind transferring to a family member regardless of relationship, unless they are directly related to me. Even then I might consider it, as I am getting on up in years.

God Bless everyone who has worked so hard to make this such a great site for all to enjoy!!