A New Year & a New Challenge

I am not a journalist or a storyteller and have never blogged anything in my life so this will truly be a challenge for me.  The purpose of this blog is to record and share my family history as I research and struggle to uncover new information and insight regarding the people of my past.   Maybe in the process I can become better at writing stories, short biographies, and even leave something of interest to my children and grandchildren.

I started genealogy research over 20 years ago but I have had periods of time that I didn't work on it because other things in life needed my attention.  Sometimes this can be a good thing because you come back with a different perspective.  The down side is that you have to review so much and I would find myself researching data which I had already researched.  I have since learned to keep better notes and research logs!

I wish I could say that I had an epiphany one day and decided genealogy research was my destiny but my reasons are probably the same as most anyone - family stories.  My mother always talked of the Native American blood that supposedly ran through our veins from Grandpa Tom.  This must be the most common family story out there!  I remember my father telling me that his grandfather was murdered over a quarter!  These stories and the fact that I am a sixth generation Texan peaked my curiosity enough that I just had to find out all I could about Grandpa Tom, learn who was the first of my ancestors to make Texas their home, were there any Civil War veterans, who were the first immigrants to America, and all the others in my past.  My husband's mother is a great storyteller and I love to hear her tell about her childhood and events in her life.  Her maiden name is Zeigler and she was told they immigrated from Switzerland.  I knew I had to find out more and share it with her.  And last, but not least, I wanted to research the Hilliards since I married a Hilliard and my children were born with that name.

And so the journey began.