Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Back around A.D. 406, a teenaged boy named Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland. He was held as a slave/shepherd there until he escaped in 412 and headed back to the continent of Europe. He returned in 432, intending to convert the Irish to Christianity. (From "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Irish History and Culture")

As I work on my family tree (I intend to put the information into a book), I'm also discovering Irish history. Like the author of the above mentioned book, I, too, am a 'mutt.' My ancestry is one of Irish, Czech, and Hispanic nationalities. My first book in this non-fiction foray will concentrate on four Irish names: Conway, Quinn, O'Fallen, and Gardiner. I think the last name may be more Brittish, but as I work on this project, I'll find out more.

I found a wealth of knowledge just talking to my mother and her relatives. I started that journey before I became a mother myseslf, back in 1979. Since then, Ancestry.com came along and made it so much easier. I can spend hours on it without realizing that it's happened.

The most significant find was the Quinn side of the family, where my mother's relatives could recall the story of two sisters who came from Ireland and lived in Seward, NE. What they didn't know then was that these two sisters were two of twelve children that came here with their mother. I found their names on a ship's log. There's more fascinating information, but I'll leave that for another time.

While you still have them, talk to your parents, grandparents, and relatives. Find out what they know and write it down, then start your own search. I highly recommend Ancestry.com. When you put your information in, you will get a leaf showing you hints from other people's work (which may be relatives you didn't know about). It's really fun. I regret that I didn't follow through on it until I found everything I needed, but like many things, life gets in the way.

I also recommend World Explorer which gives you more options if you are serious about your search. As I lose my relatives, I really need to get this done. It's not cheap, but if you are serious, you can get a lot done in one year. Ancestry has plans that are monthly, semi-annually, and annually.

For now, May God Bless you and hold you in the palm of his hand!