Friday, January 7, 2011

Hello. My name is Wendy, and I'm addicted to genealogy.

Happy New Year! One of my resolutions this year was to start a blog, and actually stick to it. The trouble was coming up with a topic. I'm a Human Resources manager with lots of stories, advice and general cautionary tales to share. I'm also a fiendish knitter and spinner of yarn. But the obsession that I feel an almost constant need to share with everyone is my family history.

Grandma Edith as a young girl
How did this obsession come about? Well, like many addictions, it was mostly inherited. My Grandma, Edith Vivian Hunt Brittain, was the original genealogist in our family. I remember sitting with her for hours at her big, round oak table while she wrote long letters to cousins, some she knew well and some she'd never met, trying to untangle the roots of my grandfather's and her family trees. I also remember hearing about her many trips to Utah and Oklahoma to do research and visit relatives, including her cousin Fritzi, who shared the same passion. She instilled the love of family history in my dad, Bill Brittain, and then in me. 


Grandma looking quite glamourous
When Grandma died in 1993, and my dad passed away in 2003, I not only inherited the addiction to genealogy, but also became the keeper of my family's very colorful history. I dedicate this blog to my Grandma Edith, and think she'd be proud of the work I've done to continue her passion.

Stay tuned for more posts about my own family -- on both the Brittain and Bartram sides -- as well as other interesting information about genealogy, in general. I may also ask you to help me solve some tricky mysteries. In any case, I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures in genealogy.

6 comments:

  1. How fun Wendy! I am looking forward to reading as you release your obsession to the world. :)

    Good Luck,
    Your Equally Obsessed Cousin

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  2. I will be introducing my husband to your blog since he, too, is addicted to geneology. This past year, he has traced his family back to the Mayflower. Unlike you, no one in his family prompted this obsession. Happy New Year!

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  3. I love your new site! You chose a very cool name. Your grandma was beautiful and yes - very glamorous!

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  4. I look forward to hearing from your husband, amv. Very cool that he got back to the Mayflower!

    Thanks, Jen. I appreciate your encouragement. I've been very impressed with your blog, and it was a big inspiration for me to finally get started on this.

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  5. Welcome, Wendy - believe me, we understand your obsession!

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