BEGINNINGS

2021 #52ancestorsin52weeks

I have always been interested in my family’s history, fueled by a grandmother that had many pictures and information and a grandmother that said family history was not important. That dichotomy created a curiosity in me early on. Then, in 1981, my husband’s grandmother asked me to help her find her brothers in Idaho. She said she grew up in Black Foot Idaho, and her brothers were Andy and Emmett, but she wasn’t sure if their last name was Shaw, Wilson, or Nelson. She had not seen them since about 1920 when she came to CA. How could she not know her own maiden name?? Discovering the answer to that question took more than 25 years! The only way I knew to look for people was to check phone books. We did that in many towns as we travelled, but no luck.

Fast forward to 2003. Our first grandson was born and I went to help my daughter in South Dakota. One night, I found Ancestry.com on line and decided to give it a try. Grandma Ruby passed away in 1988, but I never gave up on the promise I made to her. The first search I did was for Ruby Casas. I found her in the 1930 census, and then I was hooked! It took several more years, but we did finally find her brothers and so much more.