Finding Joy And Strength In The Pursuit Of Searching ~

 Welcome to a New Year! Happy 2024!!!

I thank God for the joy and strength He brings, especially when I’m on my journey for new finds. I’m amazed! I’m thankful for those who were before me. They took the time to record what information they were told or knew.

As I’ve been searching through old newspapers, I noticed that some newspapers published church news, mentioning who attended funerals, those who called upon others and those who visited their relatives and friends. What a clever way for searchers to find clues. It takes time to sort through things. But it’s worth it.

It’s so exciting to come across new leads. And I’ve found much joy when I see confirmation. It makes me want to search more. This brings hope.

In the beginning of my search, I didn’t know much about my family connections. I only knew what my parents shared with me. And I wrote down what they shared.

Recently, I started to re read some of what my parents told me. There are things that I have forgotten about. Now, as I look back, my older adult self sees more into what I was recording.

The photo is of one of the first book I purchased on family history. I started filling out my information about my ancestors. The book was printed in 1977. I wrote to the future generation on August 2, 1990.

“Dear future generation,
May you all be proud of who your ancestors were and who you really are in life for you and your children’s children which follows.”





I have found strength through seeing the progress I have made. It wasn’t until the Summer of 2004, when I got hooked up with the internet. This was when my desire for “digging for my roots grew deeper. It was like I had “an exploration of information” coming at me.

I’m thankful that I took the DNA test. I have so many DNA matches. I don’t know how this works. But there were some DNA matches to where I connected the dots and a miracle happened. And through time, I saw the connections. Yes, I thanked God.

I can draw strength and joy from what I know about my family connections. I have come a long way since my beginning during the mid 1970’s. I’m looking forward to the joy and strength that are waiting for me to discover.

I’ve said this before: “We need the want and the desire to want to know about our ancestors, perhaps there will come those clues that will spark the flames that keeps us going. ~ I believe that there is more out there. My joy and strength comes from the LORD.

Thanks for reading.
Finding Joy And Strength: In The Pursuit Of Searching

Blessings,
S.A.Blakley

Here are the January In Remembrance:

The Dade Family Connections 

The Bartlett Family Connections  

 The Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections

   Posted on August 18, 2023 by Susan Ann Blakley except the In Remembrance 

Week 33 ~ Amy Johnson Crow’s #52Ancestors In 52 Weeks Challenge 2023

The theme for Week 33 is “Strength.” Strength comes in many forms: physical, emotional, spiritual, just to name a few. What ancestor do you think of when you think of strength?

Great Grandfather Private Isaac Blakey, (1845 – 1917)
Civil War Vet who was wounded during the War. (1863 – 1866)