By Barry J. Ewell

Episode 1, entitled Tell the Children About Me of the Series Journey of Genealogist, Journey of Genealogist, Barry J. Ewell shares a few of his personal experiences as genealogists.

My journey began on August 3, 1998.
Before I say anymore, I’d like to share with you a personal experience about how I began my journey as a genealogist.

I became a genealogist on August 3, 1998. That is the day my mother died. There were three events that would follow in the ensuing six weeks that would inspire me to begin a life focused on family history, sharing knowledge, and helping others.

Mom died from a horrific lymph node cancer. I had gathered with my brother and sister to discuss with my mother her desires for what we all thought would be several months of life and to help her put her affairs in order. She entered the hospital the first day of my arrival and died three days later.

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By Barry J. Ewell

Episode 3, entitled It’s Time to Start Your Genealogy Research of the Series Journey of Genealogist where Barry J. Ewell shares a few of his personal experiences as a genealogists.

It was 9#1:00 a.m. Sunday morning, Knoxville, Tennessee.  I had driven just under 500 miles from Washington, DC the day before in order to meet John, a distant cousin.  We were both decedents of Permitt Lee who had lived in the 1700’s. I descended through his daughter Sarah, and John descended through his son Sam.  We had corresponded over the previous three months and agreed to meet.

Upon meeting each other, I presented John with a binder that all of the research I had on the Lee family, and he John provided his research on the Lee’s that stay in Knoxville area. Following a few minutes of discussion, we spend the next several hours touring the area learning more about the Lee family’s presence in the area then and now.  Continue reading →

By Barry J. Ewell

Episode 5, entitled On the Hill Side of Martins Cove of the Series Journey of Genealogist where Barry J. Ewell shares a few of his personal experiences as a genealogists.

I had gone to Wyoming to participate in a genealogy conference in Sheraton, Wyoming.  On the drive up from Salt Lake City on Friday, I passed the Mormon Handcart Visitors’ Center at Martin’s Cove a memorial and exhibit recording the tragic circumstances of two handcart companies. Leaving late in the summer, they encountered bad weather, exposure, and death in order to unite with the main body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This place had some signigance  to me because my ancestral roots the Elias Jones family had been part of the horrific experience of 1856. Continue reading →

By Barry J. Ewell

Episode 6, entitled It’s Time to Start Your Genealogy Research of the Series Journey of Genealogist where Barry J. Ewell shares a few of his personal experiences as a genealogists.

During a family trip to visit Hawaii, we took the opportunity to visit the Arizona Memorial. We learned from others that it would be wise to start early if we were going to beat the crowds to the Memorial.  We arrived at at 8#1:30 and were able to get tickets for the 9#1:45 a.m. program.  During our hour wait we took the opportunity to review the many exhibits throughout the courtyard.  The highlight of the wait was listening to a volunteer who had been at Pearl Harbor. He told us of his experience that morning of the attack and what it was like to have been there.  Continue reading →

By Barry J. Ewell

Episode 7, entitled It’s Time to Start Your Genealogy Research of the Series Journey of Genealogist where Barry J. Ewell shares a few of his personal experiences as a genealogists.

One years I was earlier I had come to Kansas in search of record that had been prepared by my step-father’s aunt.  This  trip was scheduled for Nebraska and Kansas to expand on the information and research I had completed during that time.  I had spent two months setting up appointments and learning about where I could expand my research. Continue reading →