"The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope.
Love of the past implies faith in the future."
-- Stephen Ambrose, 1936-2002
"The average man will bristle if you say his father was dishonest, but he
will brag a little if he discovers that his great-grandfather was a pirate."
-- Bern Williams
"He that has no fools, knaves, or beggars in his family must have been
begot by a flash of lightning!"
-- Thomas Fuller, 1608-61
Genealogy
I enjoy studying our family history because, like project management, it involves working with people, solving mysteries, and a lot of variety. One day you're on Ellis Island with your German great grandfather as he fearfully embarks on a new life in a strange new land, and the the next you're trying to confirm that your grandfather was indeed raised by his aunt because his father was killed in a saloon gunfight in New Mexico.
Recently I was researching a distant cousin who was killed aboard the USS Mullany during the battle of Okinawa. On April 6 1945, the USS Mullany was struck by a Japanese kamikaze plane at 17:45. Before damage control parties could remove all the wounded from the twisted metal and exploding ammunition, the ship's depth charges exploded. The USS Mullany eventually was able to control the fires, and heavily damaged, limped off in the darkness on one shaft without radar for Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, arriving May 29. Courage and determination had saved the ship, but 21 of her crew were killed, nine missing, and 36 wounded. Who needs to rent the Pearl Harbor DVD when you can read accounts of like this of the bravery of your own family!
Some of the prominent family names that we are researching include Allen, Armstrong, Bayer, Blake, Brown, Draper, Israel, Keller, Keys, Kirby, Gehring, Geiss, Rein, and Wagner.
If these names are part of your heritage as well, I would welcome an email from you to explore if we are "kith or kin". Just drop an e-mail to robert.blake@robertblake.biz
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| Everyone has a story... |
Oprah Winfrey says, "Everyone has a story". I agree. Some stories are intriguing, some exciting, and some painful. The stories become even more fascinating when they are interwoven with your own. I have dabbled for a number of years curiously uncovering our family's roots. My older brother has officially "knighted" me as "Keeper Of The Family Archives". Pursuing our ancestors,and documenting their life's story has been an enjoyable hobby. It has led me through studies of geography, history, politics, and science. It has also led to the discovery of many wonderful new friends all over the country with whom I share "a drop of common blood". 
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