Hello and Greetings,

I am a retired Materials & Equipment Supply Coordinator and Inventory Control Records Manager, who previously worked for a variety of manufacturing, distribution and industrial-service companies in the Metro N.Y.C. area. During that period (1980's-2010's), I was also frequently responsible for expediting purchases and conducting Incoming Inspection & Quality Assurance Audits. - My educational background and earlier career experiences were in History, Anthropology and Archaeology. I now currently reside in Ocean County, NJ.

On the subject of my own genealogy, I am a descendant of the Santopietro (paternal) and Pierantozzi (maternal) Families, who immigrated from the Campania and Marche Regions of Italy to northern New Jersey in the first decade of the 1900's, on my father's side of the family. - My mother's ancestors are those connected to the Hauser/Houser/Hausen/Haus/House (paternal) and Roth (maternal) Families. They were immigrant colonists and pioneers from Germany/Prussia, France (Alsace-Lorraine), Switzerland and Austria, who eventually migrated into western Maryland, western Pennsylvania and northwest Virginia (now West Virginia) from the early-1700's through the early-1800's.

Through additional marriages in the Hauser and Roth families during the past 300 years, I am also indirectly and distantly related to many of the: Waltz, Yantz/Jantz/Lantz, Ridenour/Reitenauer, Rinehart/Rheinhardt, DeWitt, Carr, Bischoff/Bishop, Winters/Winter, Wolfe/Wolf (Wolff), Bucklew/Buckalew, Wotring/Watring (Vautrin/Voiturin), Wilt, Carrico, Wiles/Weills, Haun/Hahn, Lohr/Loar/Lower, Dumire/Domire, Hardesty, Snyder/Schneider, Liller, Hopkins, Moats, Harvey, Gauer/Gower, Henline/Hanline, Ball, Hebb, Rembold, Teets, Stemple, Shaffer/Shafer/Schaefer, Mosser, Lee, Weimer, Sell (Sellen/Zellen), Whitehair/Weisshaar, Porter, Mason, Soelter/Selders, Heckert, Arnold, Martin, Evans, Slaubaugh/Schlabach/Slabach, Fike (Feick), Harsh, Best, Weber, Sisler (Schisler), Blamble/Bramble, Knotts, Beckman (Bockmann), Rolf, Kight, Knepp, Lipscomb, Calcamp, Miller, Ridder, Stahl, Bowman (Bauman), Nine (Nein), Moon, Fredlock, Janoske, Fulk, Bachtel/Bachtle and Gnegy/Gnagey/Gnaegi/Naegi family descendants, in addition to those from many other old family names, still living in the Central Alleghany Mountains Region. The spelling on most of the original German, Dutch, Swiss, Austrian and French family names have been drastically "Anglicized" in a variety of versions since the early 1800's.

My deceased mother, Colene (Hauser) Santopietro (FaG Memorial #168044406), was born on a mountaintop farm above/between Gnegy Church and Silver Lake, at the southern tip of Garrett County, MD in 1933. She compiled a genealogical book: "The History of the Hauser Family of Garrett County, MD and Preston County, WV"* - which was printed in February of 1998. By using this book and reviewing the existing information on FaG Memorials, along with applying some basic graveyard logic, plus further internet research on the Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and SortedbyName.com websites; I have been able to provide additional family links and missing data (dates and locations) to numerous FaG Memorials. I have also created many new memorials which are serving as helpful missing links between family generations.

To assist in these efforts, I also initially relied on two other genealogy books: "A Genealogy of The Roth Family of Garrett Co., MD and Preston Co., WV -1988"* by (now deceased) Josephine (Evans) Roth (along with her children Harold Roth & Nancy Roth-Blamble), and "The History of the Bachtel Family of Preston Co. and Garrett Co.-1986"* by Mary Grace Bachtel-DePollo (deceased). In addition, I have searched the internet for any available obituaries and U.S. Census Reports, to further clarify a person's family connection, when possible. My final efforts were in performing walking surveys (2021-2023) through the old cemeteries of Redhouse and Gnegy Church in Garrett County, MD, plus those of Eglon and Horse Shoe Run in Preston County, WV, in-order to photograph and take notes from the tombstones not yet added to FaG Memorials.

Along with the activities mentioned above, I have also reported numerous duplicate memorials and cemeteries to the FaG Staff for their review and merger consideration. - Going forward, I will continue to review selected "old" family names in the cemeteries of southern Garrett and Preston Counties and the adjacent areas. I will also pass on edit suggestions to memorial managers for additional reliable and consistent data currently found on genealogical websites, as well as edits for family links. Your assistance in reviewing and processing these updates will be greatly appreciated.

My interest in these ancestors/descendants and their history is ongoing. I look forward to receiving your feedback to my edit suggestions. Also very welcome, are any additional information suggestions, data corrections and biography notes for the memorials I created, plus those which were transferred to me. Correct burial locations/details for my managed memorials that are either a "burial unknown status" or a "non-tombstone" unverified cemetery gravesite, are especially desired. - Thank-you very much for your time, consideration and help on this project.

Best Wishes to Everyone,

Raymond A. Santopietro (Ray Sant.)

*As of July 2021, there were copies of these above "starred" referenced genealogy compositions in the library room at the Garrett County Historical Society in Oakland, MD.

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P.S.1 - During Sept. and Oct. of 2023, I read and studied all of the information and photos in the "Oakland Centennial History Book, 1849-1949" by Thekla Fundenberg Weeks, and the "Garrett County 125th Anniversary Photo Album, 1872-1997" compiled by The Garrett County Historical Society. While doing this, I was also able to supply additional biographical data and family links to many existing FaG Memorials for people who were historically connected to Garrett County, MD. - Ray Sant.

P.S.2 - In October 2024, I took time to re-read "The History of East Paterson" composition by Frederick A. Lerner in the "East Paterson 1916-1966 - 50th Anniversary Book" which was issued during my Elementary School years in my childhood hometown (Elmwood Park, since 1973). While doing this, I was able to supply some additional details to several of the existing FaG Memorials for people who played an historical role in East Paterson/Elmwood Park, Bergen County, NJ. - Later in May 2025, I reviewed the names of Military Veterans who died during their service and who are now inscribed on the War Memorial in Elmwood Park. I insured that each of these persons, with a current FaG Memorial, received a "V" for Military Veteran on the top of their page. - Ray Sant.

P.S.3 - In March 2025, I had the opportunity to read "Garrett County - A History of Maryland's Tableland"- by Stephen Schlosnagle (1978) and "Hoye's Pioneer Families of Garrett County (1988)." Both books were issued by the Garrett County Historical Society located in Oakland, G.C., MD. From the information contained in these sources, I was able to create several new FaG Memorials for early settlers of this county, along with submitting additional details and family links to numerous existing pioneer memorials.

P.S.4 - During April 2025, I spent some time reading two historical booklets inherited from my deceased mother. These publications were the "St. John's Lutheran Church (1790-1940) 150th Anniversary Souvenir" by Rev./Pastor A.K. Jones, and the "Aurora Community Historical Guide (1950)" by the Aurora Farm Women's Club. While reviewing the information provided in both, I was able to provide some additional biographical data and family links to several FaG Memorials in Garrett County (MD) and Preston County (WV).

P.S.5 - Also in April 2025, I was able to utilize "The Glades Star Centennial Edition," published by the Garrett County Historical Society in 1972, to review the 'Honored Wartime Military Deaths' for those connected to Garrett County, dating from "World War 1" through the "Vietnam War." I insured that each of these persons, with a current FaG Memorial, had a "V" for "Military Veteran" added to the top of their profile page.

P.S.6 - In March 2026, I performed a walking survey of the "Old Methodist Cemetery" in Tuckerton, Ocean County, NJ (my current home town) to verify the gravesites and tombstone engravements of Ebenezer Tucker (town's namesake), his two wives, four of his daughters, his parents and one of his sisters. Afterwards, I send some edit updates through to the corresponding FaG Memorials.