GOWhometeal

A little about Betty Collins and how she links these families together:

In the early 1990's, I started becoming curious about who all it took to make me who I am.
I first began by bugging the heck out of my brother, who actually possessed the information
I needed to begin my search. I knew somewhat briefly from verbal history what to look for.
I had no idea what would follow but was ready to let the papers fall where they would.

After making some phone calls to some family members I was able to learn enough to start
going in the right direction. With names like Smith, Jones, and Butler... I knew I had a task
ahead of me. This was the beginning of my research before computers became such a large
part of our life and a tremendous help in aiding some of the research that would have taken
eons just a few years earlier. I decided I would trace us back to at least 1800 (my target
year).

Once I found Ancestry.com and Rootsweb, my searching took off like a rocket leaving a
platform. I was able to locate some family members I either had no idea I had, or I had
heard of them but did not know the connections until we connected. When my grandmother
passed on in 1988, she left seven photo albums to my mother. It was a world of gold for me.
Tho I did not know (and still do not) many in the photos, some came to light as I met new
family. The more I met, the more interested I was in learning more.

I broke down and took out a subscription on Ancestry.com and it proved to be a great
investment for me. I was able to search data bases that aided even further in my research. I
have found the best information by accessing the data bases that allow me to really see the
images that have the information to make proven connections. My best sources are in this
order: verbal family history; the United States Federal Census (years 1790 - 1930); WWI
draft registraions and war pensions filed for; birth,death and marriage records; court
records including land lotteries and tax lists. I learned not all documentation was fact and
that just because some history was verbal and not
documented did not mean it did not happen. I have some physical documents and I have
visited courthouses, newpaper archives, funeral homes and searched many data bases.

In the beginning of all this, our children were not married. I was on my third marriage and
decided I wanted to get my hubby's line as well. I must say ... GENEALOGY IS A BUG THAT
WONT DIE! Our children were still in school and only one was married. My next step was to
start including our childrens spouses lines so our grandchildren would have family history
to turn back to. This would be my contribution to this life...I would have records and
history to give them if they should ever just want to know. Besides, every family needs a
genealogist in the family, RIGHT?

Moving along, having six children between us, the families started multiplying quickly. But
it didn't just stop there for me. I was infected...the more I had to research the more I wanted
to know. My sister wanted to know some things, but no patience to explore the history and
data. So, I took on the task of including her spouses family for the sake of my niece and
nephew. And of course, I could not leave out my brother when he married. And my step
father, who has been a better dad than my biological father.... and my childrens father's
lines.... and my hubby's previous marriges because he had children with them... and now
my sisters "boyfriend" (as she lost her hubby in 2004) who is also of all things... Another
SMITH!

So, I start out as a Smith and am finishing at this point with another Smith. And history goes
on.