A family tree's roots may run in many directions.  Some will run deep and disappear.   Some seek the surface and the sun.  Some are driven by some deep source of  nourishment or refreshment.  Some have been redirected by obstacles and trials.  Some  have ended abruptly.  From the tree itself, some branches have been pruned and some  new ones have been grafted to the old.  For all of this, the tree is still a unique  entity with each of us connected to the others and each providing a little something  to those others.  We also influence the future.

In my quest to trace my own roots, I discovered much about myself.  My history is an  extension from those roots.  I have learned a little of the history of those areas  where our family started and where they migrated.  I learned about their life styles,  their religions, their family structures.  I learned about those historical events  that impacted on the families and how those events reshaped our extended experiences.

Families become intermingled through marriage and friendships.  Because of those  relationships, entire families moved from one place to another to remain close to  family or to friends.  They provided a support system for each other.  Those who  stayed behind provided the conduit between the "old world" and the "new."   Those who  braved the grand adventure, traveled for twelve days across a vast and sometimes  threatening ocean, and journeyed to new, unknown territories set the stage for us  more timid folks who take "home" for granted to call it "home."

I am overwhelmed by the strength and courage of our ancestors who came to these  shores with very few possessions, often alone and without any support, and who made  the great struggle and survived.  We are the proof of their successes!  We are the  fruits from their labors.  We are the new branches and the new roots for those who  will journey beyond our imaginations, just as we have surpassed the dreams of our  forefathers.

Families are stories and I hope you will share your stories with me as you journey  through this genealogical listing.