

Reaching Out to Long-Lost Relatives
I have been researching my family history for almost 20 years. Over the years I have tried a number of different ways to research and track down my ancestors. One of the most effective ways has been through using Ancestry.com and I've been a member of Ancestry since 2007. Ancestry is not perfect - you cannot just take "hints" as being correct facts, and still must research every detail thoroughly - but it is one of the most comprehensive tools for a modern genealogist to use


I Still Won't Be Invited to The White House!
During this seemingly never-ending pandemic, I've been working long hours at home and by the end of the day, I usually want to do anything but spend more time on the computer. However, I have done some family history research every now and then, and I've managed to piece together another branch of the family tree: the Bush family. US President George Herbert Walker Bush and his son, President George Walker Bush are my 18th and 19th paternal cousins respectively. Distant cous


6 Degrees of Separation & More Interesting Discoveries!
Although I am directly related to the man who epitomizes the phrase (Kevin Norwood Bacon), I just discovered an interesting link to another historical figure that I find particularly interesting.
While researching Jane Seymour Fonda's family connections, I ran across another cousin, Mary Benjamin. Mary was my 27th cousin, twice removed on my paternal side. Mary was a socialite and philanthropist who was the daughter of George Hilliard Benjamin and Jane Miller Seymour (my 26t


Sometimes You Learn Things
Part of the thrill of discovering new ancestors to add to my ever-growing family tree is in the research that I have to do to verify names, dates and places. It can be a lot of work, but it keeps me occupied and helps me focus my attention away from everyday life and gives me a bit of a mental break. I guess you could say that researching my family is a form of therapy for me. When I do discover someone of historical importance in my tree, I then start a separate round of res