Born in Oregon in 1950, I grew up all over the country. I had been to 45 states before I was 18. I went to the Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force. Eventually I settled in Colorado.
In spite of all the traveling, family has always been important to me. My mother was particularly interested in family history and often told me stories (most of it true)about her relatives and ancestors. My father liked to travel and we visited historical sites and family. I have been involved in family history as long as I can remember. I started filling in family group sheets and collecting documents when I got married.
Serious genealogical research came naturally to me. My father once observed that I put more study into casual interests than most people put into their vocations. I like to know about people, why they did what they did, what was their life like? I have been known to research a person with ancestors and descendants just because I liked the name. The most extreme example is the name Conquest. I spent several years researching all the Conquests in the United States before 1900. I have become particularly interested in the Conquest family of Accomack county, Virginia and their descendants.
I have spent more than a little time in cemeteries around the country. I probably have as many cemetery photos as I have of my children. I keep thinking I am going to get them organized and make sure they are all on find a grave but to date,(2013) I have not.
I consider find a grave a good genealogical source. Photos of Monuments are particularly good. I like to see obits and family links. As a rule I include a copy of the text of a memorial and a url to photographs as part of the documentation when I am doing research. I treat find a grave like everything else, not absolutely trust worthy, but a gravestone generally proves somebody lived and died and was buried and that someone else cared enough to mark the spot and remember them.
I am grateful to every one of you who has posted a memorial, added photos or obits, added history of someone you knew. Often it is nice to know how they died. I find infant and child burials particularly poignant. I am always moved by those who give their lives for others and angered by those who die needlessly because of someone elses act. My thanks to each of you.

Born in Oregon in 1950, I grew up all over the country. I had been to 45 states before I was 18. I went to the Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force. Eventually I settled in Colorado.
In spite of all the traveling, family has always been important to me. My mother was particularly interested in family history and often told me stories (most of it true)about her relatives and ancestors. My father liked to travel and we visited historical sites and family. I have been involved in family history as long as I can remember. I started filling in family group sheets and collecting documents when I got married.
Serious genealogical research came naturally to me. My father once observed that I put more study into casual interests than most people put into their vocations. I like to know about people, why they did what they did, what was their life like? I have been known to research a person with ancestors and descendants just because I liked the name. The most extreme example is the name Conquest. I spent several years researching all the Conquests in the United States before 1900. I have become particularly interested in the Conquest family of Accomack county, Virginia and their descendants.
I have spent more than a little time in cemeteries around the country. I probably have as many cemetery photos as I have of my children. I keep thinking I am going to get them organized and make sure they are all on find a grave but to date,(2013) I have not.
I consider find a grave a good genealogical source. Photos of Monuments are particularly good. I like to see obits and family links. As a rule I include a copy of the text of a memorial and a url to photographs as part of the documentation when I am doing research. I treat find a grave like everything else, not absolutely trust worthy, but a gravestone generally proves somebody lived and died and was buried and that someone else cared enough to mark the spot and remember them.
I am grateful to every one of you who has posted a memorial, added photos or obits, added history of someone you knew. Often it is nice to know how they died. I find infant and child burials particularly poignant. I am always moved by those who give their lives for others and angered by those who die needlessly because of someone elses act. My thanks to each of you.