Favorite Photo
My Grandparents’ 25th Wedding Anniversary, September 1965. I was the first child and the first grandchild. We gathered in the “North Room” of my grandparents’ home for this photo, my grandparents, my parents, my dad’s brother Tom and his wife, Roseann, and me. For the […]
My Namesake: Louisa Jane Orr
I was named after my father Donald Frederick Malter. I could tell you about my father, but it might comprise a book, and its last page is far from written. My middle name is Louise. As I was pondering the prompt, “Namesake,” I realized how […]
Family Legend
I wish I had a unique legend but, like about half the genealogists I know, there is a Native American in the woodpile. A good number of people I know are flabbergasted to learn that they’ve been hoodwinked by family lore. According to my mother, […]
Beginnings
Not that long ago, I believed with all of my being that my heritage was German, Swedish and French, and that my great-grandmother was a Cherokee princess descended from Pocahontas. When my son, who rarely displays an interest in anything besides video games, said he’d […]
Kentucky Day 1: Kansas City to Louisville
Bags packed and ready for an adventure, Kim and I left Lake Tapawingo around 11 AM and headed east toward Louisville. Four months into the pandemic, family and friends questioned the sanity of traveling, but we’d missed our Paris trip and promised we’d be careful, […]
Will the Real John Green Please Stand Up?
John Green is the brick wall that won’t crumble. I had to known down a few to get to him . I should say “we” knocked them down because it’s been a team endeavor. Dr. Watson — or perhaps she’s Sherlock to my […]
Cousin Kim
Kim is one of my dearest friends, and my cousin. We might never have met if not for Ancestry. I took a DNA test hoping to learn more about my maternal great-great-grandmother Lucy Green. When I received my results, I logged onto Ancestry.com and found […]