In 1996, my son asked me about his father’s family, about which, he had little historical information.
As a result of that question, I began to gather and compile a family tree. That tree grew to include all of his ancestors. Eventually I realized the value of linking pictures to the individuals on the trees for add interest.
Still, though, I found that the trees did not come to life and capture the interest for a person embroiled in the throes of a busy life.
As a result, I began to gather and sort through the stories I could gather about individuals and in 1999 I began linking those stories to the trees. What I have found is that vignettes attached to the pictures and trees provide just the right amount of interest to allow an individual to come to life in the eyes of a descendant.
The significance of knowing that real people cared and struggled and worked to make our lives possible, however successful or flawed we might find them, anchors us to and engages us in life.
In 2007, following ten years of development, I launched 1family.info to provide a secure and private place for families to gather and post Family Narratives for themselves and their families.
This forum provides an opportunity for individuals to share that information and for it to be available ‘on demand’.
Enjoy these pages. Contribute to them. Contact me to start a family page…