I grew up in the west, a transplanted New Englander. When I was a teen, our family went "Back East" to visit family and to do a bit of genealogical research. While there we went to an old cemetery in New Hampshire, overgrown with weeds and tall grass. My mother gave me the assignment of searching a section for family surnames. While walking along, reading the names on old gravestones, I was startled by a snake slithering across my path. I ran to the picket fence, scrambled over it, and jumped in our car. Finally feeling safe, I swore off of genealogical activities of any kind.

When my parents passed, I inherited "the brief case." I stored it away in the back of my closet for eleven years. In a spurt of purging old things I no longer needed, I decided to go through the family history data in "the brief case" and then pass it on to my children. Perhaps someday, someone would find it of interest.

I sorted all the papers, purchased a software program, and put all my ancestors in their proper places in the computer. Out of curiosity I "Googled" a few names, and soon I was hooked. That was in 2004.

I have recently gotten brave, and have started searching Find-a-Grave, no snakes there. It has been over fifty years since that encounter in the New Hampshire cemetery. I have overcome the trama, and am ready to go forward. Hope I can help someone with my small contribution of data.