I want to start my bio by saying a big "Thank You" to all those folks along the way, family, friends, and total strangers who have helped me or encouraged me on my genealogical quests. Without you, I would be nowhere. I only manage memorials for my ancestors or their kin, so if I request a transfer it is because I genuinely would like to be their caretaker until a closer relative stumbles along.

Shortly after I was born, my great grandfather inscribed the Cruzen family bibles, several letters written home during the Civil War, a spinning wheel, and other mementos to be handed down to me. My parents, having more wisdom than I, didn't really let me fuss with them until I was about 12 years old. From then on I was hooked.

My mom did a mighty fine job of tracing family trees. Back then, in the 60s, it was a slow process - waiting for the mail to read some hand-scribbled notes that were often illegible. I wish I still had her notes on 3x5 cards because some of that anecdotal information is now lost forever. Oh, how things have changed. Now we're mostly cursed by typos (guilty) and shoddy research.

I've dabbled in genealogy now for about 50 years, I reckon. I go in fits and spurts and sometimes take a break for a few years. But each time I return, there is another nugget of information that I find.

Interests include Finnies originally from Galashiels, Scotland (then to Illinois & Iowa), and the Sylvanus Pease/Charlotte Taylor line of Illinois. I'm also proudly descended from the Curley's of Nebraska.

Other closely related lines I research are the Cruzens descended from Cornelius, Lamborns in America, Freemans of the Mary Cherry line, and Mendenhalls (descended from "John the Immigrant" & Elizabeth Maris).

I've built a virtual cemetery for the men of Company E, 33rd Iowa Infantry in which my GG Grandfather served during the Civil War. If you find a member of that unit who I've not yet included, please message me with their name and number and I will place him with his comrades.

I want to start my bio by saying a big "Thank You" to all those folks along the way, family, friends, and total strangers who have helped me or encouraged me on my genealogical quests. Without you, I would be nowhere. I only manage memorials for my ancestors or their kin, so if I request a transfer it is because I genuinely would like to be their caretaker until a closer relative stumbles along.

Shortly after I was born, my great grandfather inscribed the Cruzen family bibles, several letters written home during the Civil War, a spinning wheel, and other mementos to be handed down to me. My parents, having more wisdom than I, didn't really let me fuss with them until I was about 12 years old. From then on I was hooked.

My mom did a mighty fine job of tracing family trees. Back then, in the 60s, it was a slow process - waiting for the mail to read some hand-scribbled notes that were often illegible. I wish I still had her notes on 3x5 cards because some of that anecdotal information is now lost forever. Oh, how things have changed. Now we're mostly cursed by typos (guilty) and shoddy research.

I've dabbled in genealogy now for about 50 years, I reckon. I go in fits and spurts and sometimes take a break for a few years. But each time I return, there is another nugget of information that I find.

Interests include Finnies originally from Galashiels, Scotland (then to Illinois & Iowa), and the Sylvanus Pease/Charlotte Taylor line of Illinois. I'm also proudly descended from the Curley's of Nebraska.

Other closely related lines I research are the Cruzens descended from Cornelius, Lamborns in America, Freemans of the Mary Cherry line, and Mendenhalls (descended from "John the Immigrant" & Elizabeth Maris).

I've built a virtual cemetery for the men of Company E, 33rd Iowa Infantry in which my GG Grandfather served during the Civil War. If you find a member of that unit who I've not yet included, please message me with their name and number and I will place him with his comrades.