I was born and raised in West Tennessee. I always had an interest in our family history. My mother always carried the kids with her when she went to the cemeteries to add flowers to the graves. Didn't understand at a young age but it left an interest. I still enjoy visiting cemeteries and looking for family or hunting for the oldest gravestone or ones that are unusual. I made pictures of a lot and even did rubbing of some.

I started working on my genealogy in the early 70's and records was hard to find. I did a lot of talking with the older members of the family and would get different versions of information. I hit many brick walls along the way. Facts are not always as they are remembered.

I found and started going to family reunions from other branches of our tree and found other cousins that shares this interest. Through their added research and steady searching, we have put together our family history.

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Primary family lines I'm following include:

For myself:

Stewart / Oliver / Bryan / Watson / McNeill / Pope / Hale / Decherd / Spyker / Seidel.

Smith / Kimbel or Kimble / Evans / Hughes / Tolle / Arrington / Benham / Fowler / Kelley / Tucker.

For my wife Terri:

McMeans / Fleming / McGaughey / Ridge / Sanders / Carroll / O'Harrow / Lyons / Stagle / Thonas / Crimmins / Burrell / Hunter / Wilson / Waldrop / Vandiver / Grier.

For my granddaughter Gabrielle Elisabeth:

Jines / Wrinkle / White / Hardesty / Bibdy / Grace / Younger / Jarrell / MacDonald / Rogers / Brooks.

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Taphophile

An individual with a passionate interest in cemeteries and gravestones. Greek taphos (tomb) and phile (love).