My roots date to the earliest settlers of Penn's Woods. My first German ancestors were Krefelders, arriving in Philadelphia as "The Original 13 Families" aboard the Concord in 1683; other lines from Hohr-Grenzhausen and Stuttgart would follow. My first Scottish and Irish ancestors arrived from Galloway and County Donegal in the mid-1700s. Over the next 150 years, more would arrive among the successive waves of German and Gaelic immigrants settling in the Keystone State. Most thriving initially in and around the Germantown, and Frankford sections of Philadelphia, or across the river in Camden and Gloucester counties of NJ. Older generations of my ancestors lived within blocks of each other before younger generations moved out into the surrounding counties and beyond. Other family lines would find their way to Philadelphia by way of arriving in NYC and Baltimore, MD. My parents grew up in the suburbs, where I was raised as well. While I live nearby in MD, my daughters still are in Pennsylvania, and my sons and grandchildren live in Colorado. My wife's family are Virginians and Marylanders.

Through the collaborative efforts of many family members, close and distant, in sharing original sources, and for contributing DNA to further our analysis, we have opened many doors and flipped rocks we did not know existed. I have realized surprise, satisfaction, frustration and joy in my efforts to explore my family heritage. Our efforts continue to chart a fascinating, revealing, and rewarding journey. I hope to help others to realize the same.

My roots date to the earliest settlers of Penn's Woods. My first German ancestors were Krefelders, arriving in Philadelphia as "The Original 13 Families" aboard the Concord in 1683; other lines from Hohr-Grenzhausen and Stuttgart would follow. My first Scottish and Irish ancestors arrived from Galloway and County Donegal in the mid-1700s. Over the next 150 years, more would arrive among the successive waves of German and Gaelic immigrants settling in the Keystone State. Most thriving initially in and around the Germantown, and Frankford sections of Philadelphia, or across the river in Camden and Gloucester counties of NJ. Older generations of my ancestors lived within blocks of each other before younger generations moved out into the surrounding counties and beyond. Other family lines would find their way to Philadelphia by way of arriving in NYC and Baltimore, MD. My parents grew up in the suburbs, where I was raised as well. While I live nearby in MD, my daughters still are in Pennsylvania, and my sons and grandchildren live in Colorado. My wife's family are Virginians and Marylanders.

Through the collaborative efforts of many family members, close and distant, in sharing original sources, and for contributing DNA to further our analysis, we have opened many doors and flipped rocks we did not know existed. I have realized surprise, satisfaction, frustration and joy in my efforts to explore my family heritage. Our efforts continue to chart a fascinating, revealing, and rewarding journey. I hope to help others to realize the same.