Hi,I live in Iowa with my wife Connie. I retired as Superintendent of Parks in 2009 and spent 37yrs in local government. We have two wonderful adult children and three beautiful grandchildren. I began researching my family history in 1993 while visiting my sister in Arizona. From that time, I have become addicted to family history as well as county and local history. My roots lie in England, Scotland, Norway, Canada, Switzerland and most likely parts yet to be discovered. I discovered that my Norwegian heritage came from the Sogn Og Fjordane region of Norway. The Peder Larson Rønnei Family left Bergen in 1869 on the Bark Alma (a sailing vessel). They arrived at Grosse Island Quarantine Station, in Quebec, Canada. They left because a wealthy few owned much of the land wealth associated with the area and could not get ahead. It was time to make a change and move on to what would be a better life. From Canada they went into Wisconsin and then into Iowa. Making their home in Mt. Valley Twp., Winnebago County and later Fertile, Iowa. I think that's fascinating and courageous.I recently took a hand's on class at our local cemetery on how to remove the lichen and repair gravestones. With the permission of the cemetery's caretaker, I have been allowed to put my skills to work and have begun the restoration of my ancestral gravestones.Family research names include Suby, Lucken, Kirk, Burgess, Halvorson, Grovum, Wells, Shobe, Nunn, Wean, Sagen, to name a few.

Hi,I live in Iowa with my wife Connie. I retired as Superintendent of Parks in 2009 and spent 37yrs in local government. We have two wonderful adult children and three beautiful grandchildren. I began researching my family history in 1993 while visiting my sister in Arizona. From that time, I have become addicted to family history as well as county and local history. My roots lie in England, Scotland, Norway, Canada, Switzerland and most likely parts yet to be discovered. I discovered that my Norwegian heritage came from the Sogn Og Fjordane region of Norway. The Peder Larson Rønnei Family left Bergen in 1869 on the Bark Alma (a sailing vessel). They arrived at Grosse Island Quarantine Station, in Quebec, Canada. They left because a wealthy few owned much of the land wealth associated with the area and could not get ahead. It was time to make a change and move on to what would be a better life. From Canada they went into Wisconsin and then into Iowa. Making their home in Mt. Valley Twp., Winnebago County and later Fertile, Iowa. I think that's fascinating and courageous.I recently took a hand's on class at our local cemetery on how to remove the lichen and repair gravestones. With the permission of the cemetery's caretaker, I have been allowed to put my skills to work and have begun the restoration of my ancestral gravestones.Family research names include Suby, Lucken, Kirk, Burgess, Halvorson, Grovum, Wells, Shobe, Nunn, Wean, Sagen, to name a few.