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Welcome! This website was created on 28 Sep 2006 and last updated on 16 Feb 2024. The family trees on this site contain 14729 relatives and 106 photos. If you have any questions or comments you may send a message to the Administrator of this site.
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About The Shirey Family Tree
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My dear family members and friends,

As far back as I can remember, I was always interested in my family history.  As a child I was very  curious about those who had come before us, and no one seemed too interested in answering my  questions.  I remember going to Balzer Family reunions and being utterly amazed that somehow, I was  related to ALL those people.  When my family moved from Ohio to California in 1963 those familes  ties were broken and I never heard much more about them again.

Then in 1979, as a result of family gatherings, some relatives took time, energy, and love, to  create a photocopied booklet called "Statistical Data Pertaining to the Posterity of Schaefer,  Balzer, and Hoss Families."  My father was sent a copy of this book.

Sometime after the death of my mother in 2000, my father mailed me a package.  In it were old family  photographs - unfortunately with no one being identified, and his copy of THE book.

Since then, I have asked living relatives for more information.  Only recently have I taken the time  to create a family tree and to connect with others on their journey into their past to see where our  families may be joined together.  2006 was the beginning of my journey into my past.  We were  expecting the birth of our first grandchild.  Hopefully the first of many my four children will  produce for Beth and me!  Guess what?  Noah Nathan Lee Shirey arrived March 8, 2007!  He was a  strapping 9 pound 8 ounce, 23 inches long, BEAUTIFUL baby boy.  Even after 30 hours of intense,  unmedicated labour, Rebekah remains our beautiful baby.  Please pray with us as we adjust and as  Noah grows into a man of God.  It is my desire to leave to each of our grandchildren a rich  Spiritual heritage as well as a documented, complete, family tree so that they may 'know' of those  who have walked this Earth before them, preparing the way for their future.  I hope I don't drive my  family crazy in the process.  They don't fully understand this drive that I have.

The journey continues...it is now 2012 and Noah is almost 5 years old!  My wife ended our marriage  of 33 years, but life, somehow, continues.  My family tree continues to take "shape."  My ex's side  of the tree is very large and regular additions are being made.  My side has been a different story.   After inputting hundreds (probably thousands) of names from other reputable Shirey researchers, I  discovered a mistake.  Past Shirey researchers had placed my great grandfather in the wrong line!   It was an honest mistake... but chopping off my tree at that point was very painful.  It took a  couple of years to finally find his real parents, and so, the tree is sprouting once again in that  direction.  Phew!  This can be very hard work!  But for me it is a work of love and I find the  results very rewarding.  It is still a work in progress and I doubt that I have it perfect.  Please  contact me with additions and corrections that you may have for me.

It is now 2020 - the year of the Covid-19 pandemic! Life has certainly changed and I wonder what future genealogists will have to say about it!  Noah is now 13 and a star football player! His mother is pregnant, expecting a girl in Jan 2021!  I got remarried on my 65th birthday, May 14, 2018 to David W. Richards and now have the joy of completing his family tree!  Time marches on...it waits for no one.  Births, deaths, taxes...all continues!

Today is Dec 31, 2022. David and I are in Dayton, OH visiting his ailing father. While here, the city of my birth, I will visit a few family tombstones in the area and take pictures. My tree continues to grow, get pruned and grows! My last update mentioned expecting a new granddaughter. Delilah Hilde Shirey Bueher arrived Jan 19, 2021 and just 10 days ago on Dec 20, 2022 she welcomed a little sister, Joannah to her family. Life continue.

The following 'story' that I found in someone else's tree describes quite profoundly why I feel the  way I do, and so I share it with you now for your enjoyment.

THE STORY TELLERS... (Unknown Author)

We are the chosen. My feelings are that in each family there is one who seems called to find the  ancestors; to put flesh on their bones and make them live again; to tell the family story and to  feel that somehow they know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts,  but instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.

We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called, as it were, by our  genes.

Those who have gone before cry out to us... Tell our story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow  find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now? I have lost count. How many times have I  told the ancestors you have a wonderful family? You would be proud of us. How many times have I  walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say.

I go beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to  seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this  happen.

The bones here are bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It  goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are  today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving up, their resoluteness  to go on and build a life for their family.

It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense  understanding that they were doing it for us that we might be born who we are. That we might  remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence because we  are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that  one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family  story tellers.

That is why I do my family genealogy and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put  flesh on their bones.
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Getting Around
There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.

In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool.

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