What is my story?

I was born in the years after the end of the 2nd World War in a small town outside of Portland, Oregon. My parents moved out west from Minnesota after the birth of my oldest brother. I think they were ready for a new adventure…a chance to write their own stories.

My father was drafted into the war out of college. He spent 5 years in Europe fighting the war. What he saw in Europe affected him deeply.

The war also affected my mother, but in a different way. For her, it was a time of freedom from the constraints of societal expectations for young women. She & her girlfriends went fishing, camping, all without chaperones. She once told me those years were some of the happiest of her life. Her story includes those special memories.

My interest in genealogy started when I was quite young. My father told me many times during my childhood, “We are not English. We are French. We are descended from Huguenots who fled to England during the persecution.”

As a child, I didn’t really understand what he meant… understanding came much later. But I saw he had his this-is-important face. I thought, “This is something I need to remember.” It was his Family Story. Now it was mine too.

As an adult, I set out to investigate our Family Story. I am fascinated by a story passed down generation after generation. Is it possible it’s actually true? Why was it important?

Genealogy research is like doing a crossword puzzle. It’s fascinating. Entertaining. Something to do during long winters.

I  haven’t found the Huguenots yet. I’m still looking…