Through the years, I've had many people ask me "How long have you been interested in family history?"  A quick answer was "since 1992." But to be honest, my curiosity about family and where we came from began much earlier. I would sit quietly and listen to everyone talk about their lives before I was born or even thought about.

In 1992, I moved my family to Central Illinois from Northern Wisconsin.  MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois accepted my application to be a student.  Jacksonville was just a short drive from Roodhouse where Mom's cousins and Aunt lived.  They were from my Grandpa Harvey's family (Mom's Dad). Donna and Betty had already started that part of the family research, but now besides my wanting to help them in the research, I also wanted to start the other half of Mom's family as well as my Dad's family tree.

I had gotten bitten by the Ancestry Bug! No worries! The ancestry bug is only a wee bit contagious.  However, it's not deadly! LAUGH, LAUGH, LAUGH!!!

On a more serious note, when other people find you can do family research, the questions move from curiosity to "can you do my family" or "will you show me how to and where to start."  Word starts to get around and those who are very curious keep asking questions.  I've had people ask if I'm taking course work or is this some kind of game? Their amazement grows when you show them what you have found and have data to back up your claims. Don't' get me wrong, its very easy with all of the information out there to make an error in dates, location or names. You may find the correct name, date, and location, but they do not line up with a previous ancestor or with their own children. Don't get discouraged! We all have had this happen in our research, too. It just means you need to continue to move forward and keep all of the noted you had gathered. Don't give up! There is a whole lot of information out there and you may have just touched the tip of the iceberg.

My challenge to you is to keep hunting and do so knowing there is help out here waiting for you as you search your own family tree.  Happy Hunting!!