An anonymous letter, found at the bottom of a box of black-and-white pictures, reveals the first clues about the author's grandmother's family story, and soon those clues lead him to a country graveyard and a long-lost cousin. As one hint leads to the next, from the 19th century back into the 18th, he discovers his family's place in a people's tragic struggle.

Family Reunion: Taking it to the next level is a book written as a step-by-step guide to researching your family’s history and successful family reunion planning. It was written for those who desire to take their family reunion to the next level; from the backyard to the hotel courtyard, from local to national, and from one branch to multiple branches of the family tree. This book is useful for both the novice and the more experienced family historian, genealogical researcher, or reunion organizer. TOPICS COVERED • Family History Research • Family Trees and Genealogy Software • Navigating Online Genealogy Databases & Records • Genetic Genealogy and DNA Testing • Preserving and Sharing the Family History • Family Reunion Planning • 24-Month Family Reunion Timeline Planner • Reunion Invitations and Letters • Organizing Reunion Planning Committees • Responsibilities of the Reunion Planning Committees & Subcommittees • Budgeting and Financing the Reunion • Activities & Games • The Reunion Tee-shirt • The Family Reunion Souvenir Book • Creating a Family Website

In this dazzling, hilarious memoir, best-selling author ofKinflicks Lisa Alther chronicles her search for the missing--oftenmysterious--branches of her family tree.Most of us grow up thinking we know who we are and where we come from. LisaAlther's mother hailed from New York, her father from Virginia, and everyday they reenacted the Civil War at home in East Tennessee. Then one nighta grizzled babysitter with brown teeth told Lisa about the Melungeons:six-fingered child-snatchers who hid in cliff caves outside town.Forgetting about these creepy kidnappers until she had a daughter of herown, Lisa learned that the Melungeons were actually a group of dark-skinnedpeople--some with extra thumbs--living in isolated pockets in the South.But who were they? Where did they come from? Were they the descendants ofSir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony, or of shipwrecked Portuguese or Turkishsailors? Or were they the children of European frontiersmen, Africanslaves, and Native Americans? Theories abounded, but no one seemed to knowfor sure.Learning that a cousin had had his extra thumbs removed, Lisa set out todiscover who these mysterious Melungeons really were and why hergrandmother wouldn't let her visit their Virginia relatives. Were thereMelungeons in the family tree? Lisa assembled a hoard of clues over theyears, but DNA testing finally offered answers.Part sidesplitting travelogue, part how--and how not--to climb your familytree, Kinfolks shimmers with wicked humor, illustrating just howwacky and wonderful our human family really is.

This book is a guide for organizing a successful and exciting family reunion, from a casual backyard barbecue to a week-long deluxe cruise. No matter whether this is your first family reunion or your tenth, the keys to a successful event are to plan and organize a structure for it, get the people together, and provide opportunities for a variety of memory-making activities. Among the topics covered are getting started with the organization process, determining how to finance the event and work with vendors, deciding where and when to hold it, and creating a simple and effective record keeping system.

"I teach the kings of their ancestors so that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old but the future springs from the past." Mamadou Kouyate "Sundiata", An Epic of Old Mali, a.d. 1217-1257 Two major questions of the ages are: Who am I? and Where am I going? From the moment the first African slaves were dragged onto these shores, these questions have become increasingly harder for African-Americans to answer. To find the answers, you first must discover where you have been, you must go back to your family tree--but you must dig through rocky layers of lost information, of slavery--to find your roots. During the Great Migration in the 1940s, when African-Americans fled the strangling hands of Jim Crow for the relative freedoms of the North, many tossed away or buried the painful memories of their past. As we approach the new millennium, African-Americans are reaching back to uncover where we have been, to help us determine where we are going. Finding a Place Called Homeis a comprehensive guide to finding your African-American roots and tracing your family tree. Written in a clear, conversational, and accessible style, this book shows you, step-by-step, how to find out who your family was and where they came from. Beginning with your immediate family, Dr. Dee Parmer Woodtor gives you all the necessary tools to dig up your past: how to interview family members; how to research your past using census reports, slave schedules, property deeds, and courthouse records; and how to find these records. Using the Internet for genealogical research is also discussed in this timely and necessary book. Finding a Place Called Home helps you find your family tree, and helps place it in the context of the garden of African-American people. As you learn how to find your own history, you learn the history of all Africans in the Americas, including the Caribbean, and how to benefit from a new understanding of your family's history, and your people's. Finding a Place Called Home also discusses the growing family reunion movement and other ways to clebrate newly discovered family history. Tomorrow will always lie ahead of us if we don't forget yesterday. Finding a Place Called Home shows how to retrieve yesterday to free you for all of your tomorrows. Finding a Place Called Home: An African-American Guide to Genealogy and Historical Identitytakes us back, step-by-step, including: Methods of searching and interpreting records, such as marriage, birth, and death certificates, census reports, slave schedules, church records, and Freedmen's Bureau information. Interviewing and taking inventory of family members Using the Internet for genealogical purposes Information on tracing Caribbean ancestry

Whether planning a small annual get-together or a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of hundreds, A Family Affair is a step-by-step guide to the planning, promotion, execution and documentation of the best family reunion ever. Filled with hundreds of practical and specific instructions, A Family Affair carefully guides the reader through: The steps to set up a family reunion (establishing a purpose and budget, contacting relatives, planning the place and time). Making people aware of it (by snail mail, e-mail, and phone; dealing with grumpy uncles). Running the reunion (kids, food, events, and pictures). Following up with memories that participants will treasure (pictures, stories, and more). The book is arranged in logical step-by-step sequence. There are checklists and forms to simplify the paperwork, websites and other references for further information on topics of special interest, and tips from others who have held successful reunions.

Are you stuck in your genealogical research? Wondering how to make progress on your brick wall problems? Discover the process that a professional genealogist uses to solve difficult cases. Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide shares a step-by-step method using real world examples, easily understood by any level of genealogist; written for the researcher ready to take their skills to the next level.Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide will give you the tools to:- Form an objective focusing your research for an entire project.- Review your research with new eyes by creating your own timeline analysis.- Construct a locality guide to direct your research.- Create a plan to keep your research on track.- Style source citations, giving your work credibility.- Set up a research log to organize and track your searches.- Write a report detailing your findings and ideas for future research.Links to templates give you the tools you need to get started and work samples illustrate each step. You'll learn to execute a research project from start to finish, then start again with the new information discovered. Whether you are a newbie or experienced researcher, Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide will move the search for your ancestors forward. Start now to learn to Research Like a Pro.