This site allows me to share photos, documents, and stories with my family and others, and I wanted to share why it is important to me to share in an environment that is free and accessible.

First: it’s not just MY family history. It is a shared history, with my siblings, cousins, and extended family members. Having our family stories on a website allows members of my family to log in whenever they want and see stories and pictures. I hope that at least one of them will find these stories of interest. I have a lot of family members, many who are interested in family history, and swapping stories, photos, and information gives everyone a better view of our family.

Second: to find new family members. One has already reached out to me! It’s incredible to hear from someone you didn’t even know existed, and gain family insight from them. I hope that putting the names of my ancestors out into the world will lead someone to me.

Third: to work through issues in my own research. Examining my family tree in a different way has uncovered gaps in my research and other issues. Turning records into a written work help to highlight issues, and in my case, tends to raise more questions!

Fourth: I want to inspire others. Your own stories may not seem important, but they are. I hope at least one person will read something on here and begin their own family history journey. I know it isn’t for everyone, but someone might begin a small step in recording their own story.

And finally, I love sharing the stories and what I am working on! I hope people enjoy reading the posts as much as I enjoy writing them!

I want to know, why or why not do you publicly share your family history?

Until next time,

Meredith