I have been researching our family history for some years now.

With modern tools like Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, and Find-a-Grave, one no longer has to travel to far-flung court houses and city halls to find family data; most of it is on-line, and more becoming available all the time.

I have over 5,000 names in our family tree now, some going back to the 1400s.

Lots of very interesting family connections on both my side and Fay's. Hers is mostly English (Pawlett, Bennett, Wheeler, Jefferson) and Scottish (my sons are authorized to wear the Clan Robertson tartan). Mine are mostly German (Selz, Weimer, Kline, Thalheimer).

I have almost all our DNA accounted for except for my great-great-grandfather on my mother's side, who was possibly a milkman or passing fancy, and a great-great-grandfather on Fay's side, who got poor Jennie Marilla pregnant in 1859. A DNA test could show a surprise there, I suppose....

Lots of fun, and subject of conversation at family gatherings.

Lannis