And so it begins:

I have been struggling to find a way to distribute the research I’ve done on my family history. I have turned to keeping this blog as a way to share information I have found with my relatives in a more timely fashion and hopefully to provide an easy way for people to provide comments, feedback and additional information to help continue to flesh out the story of our ancestors.

The impetus for starting my genealogical research began in 2002 while putting together a heritage scrapbook in honor of my mother’s 80th birthday. During visits to my mother, I would find old pictures and ask about them and then surreptitiously spirit them home to include in the scrapbook. It was also around this time that the database of people who came through Ellis Island became available on the internet. I was able to find the ship manifest that included my grandmother Cecile and her three daughters, Felice, Germaine and Simone. I ordered a copy of both the manifest and a picture of the actual ship that they emigrated on. I was hooked.

Since I’ve already collected a lot of information, my plan is to alternate between broader discussions of the family tree, recent findings and trips and specific ancestors. I can use the “tag” function of the blog to categorize entries by surname and/or specific individual.

I'm new to this world of blogging and expect that I will get better at what is included in each post, including pictures and scans of key documents. I hope you visit often and leave lots of comments and questions!