My paternal side of the family has been in Botetourt and surrounding areas since before 1798, when a Hessian soldier came down after the Revolution. I grew up in the Laymantown area in daily contact with great aunts, great uncles, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc., on my maternal side and have never left, making the 5th generation to live on the property. All that time I heard names and stories of ancestors that instilled a desire to learn more about these people and to be sure they are not forgotten.

If I've added info or linked a memorial to relatives, feel secure in the knowledge that I have searched official records to make those connections. Being human, I can make a mistake, though.