Family ChartMasters Changes Hands

What a privilege this last 20 years has been.  When we started Family ChartMasters we had no idea the love and sweat and tears that we would invest.  But we especially didn't know how much we would adore the people we would get to spend this period of our lives with.  It has been my joy to help you share your family history, honor your ancestors and inspire the next generations in your family.  Thank you for everything.  What a tremendous ride it has been. 

I'm now going to go work on my own family history.  I'm going to preserve Kim's history.  I'm going to create a new family with a wedding to Dean Olsen in June. And I'm going to absolutely love having the time to be a genealogist myself.  So much love to you all.  I'll see you at a genealogy conference soon.  I'll be there in the audience with you.  

Family ChartMasters Announces New Ownership to Preserve and Display Family History Legacies

4 Apr 2024 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Pleasant Grove, Utah] — Family ChartMasters, the leader in custom genealogy chart design and printing, is excited to announce a new chapter in its history. Crista Cowan, known online as The Barefoot Genealogist, has acquired the company from Janet Hovorka, continuing and expanding the vision of making family history more visible and cherished in homes around the world.

Founded by Janet and Kim Hovorka more than 20 years ago, Family ChartMasters has become synonymous with high-quality, personalized genealogy charts, helping thousands of families create conversation pieces showcasing the family history they have uncovered. Following the passing of co-founder Kim Hovorka in 2021, Janet continued on with their team, but Kim was such an important part of Family Chartmasters that it was difficult to go forward without him. Fortunately, Crista's passion for genealogy and commitment to the company's values and mission have paved the way for a promising future.

Janet expressed her gratitude and optimism, stating, "It's with a heart full of optimism that I pass the torch to Crista. Knowing her dedication to family history and her vision for Family ChartMasters, I am confident she will continue our legacy of preserving family stories with the same love and care we've poured into this company."

Under Crista's leadership, Family ChartMasters will continue to offer a range of family tree printing and design services.  Blank charts, to be manually filled in, are a great way to get started. Set style charts allow digital family tree data to quickly be imported for printing.  Working charts are a favorite for displaying the family tree at the next reunion.  The signature custom designed chart service offers an opportunity to work with a designer to create archival quality heirloom pieces that engage all generations.

Crista Cowan shared her enthusiasm in taking on this new role, "I am deeply honored to continue the legacy that Janet and Kim built. Their work has touched so many lives, including my own. I'm committed to maintaining and enhancing the services we provide. My goal is to see a family tree on the wall of every home, providing a visual representation of the stories that live in us and the bonds that connect us."

For more information about Family ChartMasters and its offerings, please visit FamilyChartmasters.com.

About Family ChartMasters:

Family ChartMasters is the leading provider of custom genealogy charts, with a mission to preserve family memories. Offering a wide range of design and printing services, they have helped create more than 40,000 charts for clients in 64 countries around the world, turning complex family history data into beautiful, meaningful artwork.

Contact:

info@familychartmasters.com

Honoring Family Members: Designing a Headstone

Words continue to fail me at the loss of my husband.  I am so thankful for our wonderful employees who have helped work through this crisis and bolstered me up personally during this time.  I am thankful that we will be able to carry on Kim's legacy in making this company strong and healthy and in strengthening families by printing beautiful, unifying family history charts.  

Despite the miracles we have been blessed with, I still don't know how anyone has survived a loss like this in the history of the world.  As we are now 7 months away, it seems to be getting harder.  The despair at his loss is crushing.  I have felt him close, and I am thankful for that.  I appreciate everyone's love and concern.  

Strangely, though few days go by without tears, choosing a headstone has felt good.  The mortuary counseled us to let everything settle through the winter and order a headstone in January in order to have it in place for Memorial Day.  Kim was buried in one of my family's plots, next to where my parents will be buried and next to my maternal grandparents.  My Grandmother, Eila Dana, chose Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City to purchase the plots because her parents and grandparents and brother are there as well.  She liked the cemetery because all of the headstones are flat in the ground and she liked how it looked like a park.  It is lovely.  What Grandma didn't know though, was that she was saving me alot of choices in choosing a headstone.  I'm so thankful for that.  I think this impossible task  would have been overwhelming had my choices not been limited to a flat marker.  

My Sister and nephews telling stories about our Great Grandmother at her grave. Memorial Day 2021

Wasatch Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Memorial Day 2021

Somehow choosing a headstone for Kim has been comforting.  Being a genealogist, it feels like I am building a lasting memorial to him.  Making sure he is remembered.  This is only one of the things I am working on to create a memorial to him, but this one feels substantial.  As we've visited the graves of my ancestors, and even helped place markers and headstones on some of my ancestor's unmarked graves, we have been strengthened and comforted over the years.  I've felt our place in the family and the passage of time.  It feels like I now have my own place for family to gather and remember.  

It was an interesting twist for me to have someone design for me something of such great importance.  I thought I didn't have many opinions about it, but when we got into the process, it turned out I did have a feel for what I wanted.  It was interesting to work with them to try to come up with what I was envisioning.  It gave me new insights on what we can do to help our clients visualize what we are trying to create for their families and how to help them to actualize what they are envisioning.  

I'm happy with it.  It is rich with meaning for me and my family.  A monument to a man I love and to the family we created.  I have a new appreciation for what a sacred trust it is to memorialize someone who has passed and to try to pass on a family heritage.  What a momentous work we do as family historians.  

The Loss of my husband and our founder. Kim Craig Hovorka

Words fail.  

Kim Craig Hovorka Obituary 

Kim Craig Hovorka, the eldest son of John Thomas Hovorka Jr. and Marlene Beverley Anderson, was born on December 9th , 1955 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. For 65 years his vibrant sense of humor and impeccable integrity brought light into the lives of many. He passed from this life peacefully on the morning of Thursday, June 24th, 2021. 

Kim enjoyed an unrestrained, nature filled childhood in Adams-Friendship, Wisconsin, and along the shores of Castle Rock Lake. He and his two younger brothers spent many happy days exploring the secret pond that everyone knew about and bringing fish and squirrels home for their grandmother to cook. It’s amazing they survived the adventures they had. 

As a young man, Kim left Wisconsin to pursue his education at Ricks College in Idaho. He completed his education with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Weber State in Utah. He has been a resident of Cedar Hills the last 23 years of his life. 

Kim was a hard worker and a perpetually service-oriented individual. He served faithfully in many capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout his life, including as a full-time missionary in the Philadelphia/Harrisburg Pennsylvania Mission. He had an unassuming, authentic faith and lived without guile. Throughout his life, people could always count on Kim to do what he said he would do and fulfill his responsibilities to the best of his ability. 

Kim married his wife, Janet Carpenter, in the Jordan River Temple in 1994. Together they raised three children. Through the ups and downs of life, Kim was always even tempered and was rarely upset. His children were the center of his life and he was a faithful father. Kim worked constantly to take care of his family in big and small ways and was endlessly patient with all of Janet’s big plans. He was the foundation of the family; they could always trust him. He and Janet loved being together even if it was just running errands or working on projects around the house. 

In 2004, Kim and Janet started a successful business helping others preserve and display their family history. Kim found many friends in the genealogy industry who enjoyed his huge smile and his quick wit. He was better than anyone in the world at printing large charts from any kind of genealogy. His legacy will be found in the charts he produced that are enjoyed by families all around the globe. 

 Kim would be surprised at the outpouring of love he and his family received at his passing. He never believed he was as wonderful as everyone else knew he was. He was modest to a fault. Janet told him he was loved every day, and she feels blessed that he was loved so completely by so many others. 

Kim was a firm believer and lifelong follower of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He patterned his life after the Savior’s and accomplished what he came into this life to do. 

Kim is survived by his wife, Janet, and three children – Alexis, Matthew and Rachel, as well as his brothers Dana (Ann) Hovorka and Todd (Cheryl) Hovorka. His parents predeceased him. The family is very grateful for the excellent care they received in the cardiac unit and ICU at Mountain Point Hospital. Viewings will be held at the Warenski Funeral Home at 1776 N 900 E, American Fork on Thursday, July 1st from 6 to 8 pm and again at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 4425 W Cedar Hills Dr, Cedar Hills, from 9:30 to 10:30 Friday morning. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 at the church on Cedar Hills Drive with live streaming. Burial will take place at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Viola Schwendiman Romney Talbot Thomas #ResilientRoots

Viola Schwendiman Romney Talbot Thomas (or Nama as we called her) is larger than life in my family history.  I've written about her here before.  Perhaps it is because she is straight up my matriarchal line, or perhaps it is because she had such a dramatic life, perhaps it is because she is the great-grandparent I knew the best or perhaps it is because she had many similar life experiences to mine, I feel very connected to her.  I've felt even more connected to her lately.  I've added the following photos to my desk last week, to help me feel her strength in this challenging pandemic time.  

Nama and her mother Ethel Schwendiman on the left, later in life.  The last pictures we have of Douglas with baby Doug and Eila on the two outside photos in the triptych. The only photos we have of Viola and Douglas together in the center of the triptych.  

I've been reading the history my mother wrote about Nama again with adult eyes.  Eyes who have been through alot more of life's messiness than the last time I approached her story.  I remember my mother interviewing Nama for this history on her porch when I was probably about 8 years old.  I was mesmerized with Nama's story telling and the amazing life she had.  But I never saw the depth of what she went through until recently. 

Last week, my mother and I took a little trip to see the houses where this part of my family history played out.  This house in particular was so moving to me. 

I don't know who lives there now, so I'm not going to record the address here, but it is in our family records.  It was here that Nama lived with two young children, Eila and baby Doug, when her husband Douglas left for a business trip to Colorado.  On that business trip, Douglas died of a burst appendix.  Nama was able to get to him in Colorado and say goodbye, but when she returned to this house, she was a widow at the young age of 26.  That event forever changed the course of our family.  Douglas was the great love of Nama's life, a faithful father and industrious community member.  He had saved $10,000 in a little canister in this house, and left Nama all of the information on his insurance and accounts when he died in the spring of 1928.  They had paid off the house and a car.  One would think this young widow was set, but Nama didn't know how to make it through the pain. 

Whittier Church, site of one of Douglas' funerals

Douglas had two funerals and the whole community mourned for a life cut short, a young widow and her two children who were not old enough to remember their father. 

Yale Church, site of one of Douglas' funerals

What I never noticed in her history, before now, was that when she came home, both her father and her father-in-law promptly borrowed $2000 each from this young widow to help with their own dire straits and never paid her back. She was unable to go back home and have her parent's help and her mother was a week away by letter. Her Mother-in-Law whom she had adored had died shortly before and Nama didn't get along with her new Step-Mother-in-Law. No one wanted her to go to work because mothers just didn't do that in those days.  And she had no support when she decided to go to business school.  She had a friend who helped with babysitting. But for the most part she was on her own as she navigated how to move on with life and especially the grief she had for her fatherless children.

When Gifford Talbot, her second husband came along, it seemed that he could help her get out of all the problems she was dealing with. Beyond all the other issues she faced, she also had the husband of one of her friends trying to marry her.  She said in her history that "I would have never married him in this world or the next, I don't think." But she married him after only knowing him for three weeks.  Her step mother-in-law fainted when she told her, and she only told her parents afterward.  He was good to her and her children and my grandmother adored her step-father.

Apartment building where Nama again heard the devastating
news that her second husband had unexpectedly died.

Gifford and Nama were planning to move to Phoenix in 1946.  Gifford went ahead and moved for work and bought a house in preparation for Nama to follow.  This time, the president and vice president of the company showed up on her doorstep to inform Nama that Gifford had unexpectedly passed away.  At age 44 she was instantly a widow again. 

My mother said that she remembers Nama always saying that she "needed a Miltown." Nama was always anxious that something else hard was coming her way and I really understand why.  When you go through something so shattering, out of your control and unexpected at a young age, it gives you an unsettling fear about what is coming around the corner.  I have a similar fear from similar circumstances but I'm working to deal with that in more constructive ways.  I also am thankful for more of a support system than Nama had.  She went on to have a happy life and worked through everything to be wildly successful in business.  I'm working on creating that strength too.

Hard work through challenges: Anders Ferdinand Gregersen #ResilientRoots

Andreas Ferdinand Gregersen's father died in the war between Denmark and Germany when he was only a year old.  His life in Denmark changed from that point on.  He and his widowed mother were very close, and his mother wanted the best for him.  When he was age thirteen she sent him with her friends the Madsens to Immigrate to America and she planned to follow the next year.  They would never see each other.  Andreas missed his mother for the rest of his life.  

Perhaps the letters from his mother were the motivation for his joining the pony express when he was 18 years old.  He worked all of his young years in heavy work, taking care of the "town herd" of cows, clearning and planting hundreds of acres.  He lived with several families that took care of the young boy and taught him English, writing and math in the evenings.  Eventually he found work cutting timber for the railroad and with the wages he made, be bought a strong wagon and some horses.  He witnessed the driving of the golden spike when the railroads from the east and west came together.  After his work in the railroad, he turned to the Nevada silver mines and began hauling food, wood, and bullion over long dangerous rocky trails to the mining communities.  After six years of hauling goods, he had saved considerable money and decided to visit the families who had helped him in his youth.  He returned to visit the Sylvesters whose daughter Althea had quite grown up.  Andrew left to add to his means so that he could take care of a wife and then soon returned to be married.  Eventually they moved to Silver Reef , Utah where they had a very comfortable life.  They had servants, dressed lavishly and celebrated holidays in great style.  Althea always dressed up in the afternoon for Andreas' return from work.

Eventually they purchased a ranch from a renowned agriculturist with many well developed fruit trees, grapes and beautiful gardens.  They had apples, plums pears and almonds and worked to preserve and bottle all the fruit.  Their home was situated at the crossroads of between two well established settlements so they had many visitors and lots of people came to trade and buy fruit.  Andreas continued to work the mines.  They had ten children and educated them well with the many books and musical instruments they had at the ranch.  Eventually the children all left for colleges graduating as teachers, business people, dentists, and lawyers.  In his later years, he took exquisite care of his mother in law and continued to urge his mother to come to America until the dreadful day he received the black edged letter that announced the death of his mother.  He sobbed and sobbed and no one could comfort him.  Andrew was kind and compassionate because of his loneliness as a young man.  He was healthy and loved to play jokes on people.  His children all came to say their last goodbyes as he passed on July 26th, 1922.  

Andreas was my great great grandfather.  I hope I have those good hard working genes in me.  I do like to play jokes on people and I love my mother, but I'm glad that I've never had to be separated from her as Andreas was.  He was a hard working participant in the amazing settlement of the Western United States.  

Taken in part from "The Life of Andrew Ferdinand Gregerson" written by his daughter Althea G Hafen.  

Post written by Janet Hovorka, Manager, Family Chartmasters LLC

Hortense Carpenter: Stepping up to a challenge #ResilientRoots

I've talked about my Paternal Grandmother on the blog before, and I've spoken far and wide about the resilience she blessed me with through a quilt she made for me.  But I've never written much about the resilience she showed in her own life.   She was a strong lady who instilled lots of fortitude in me that is coming in handy right now.

Hortense Snow was born April 25th in 1911.  She was the daughter of  Erastus Beaman Snow Jr. and Rosina Christina Gregerson.  Her mother grew up on a ranch with lots of books, was college educated and taught school before she married.  She loved literature and taught all of her children about the importance of an education.  She loved to travel, entertain and use the good china--all qualities she instilled in Hortense.  

Rosina ran a dress shop in their town and Hortense was always impeccably dressed.  She learned to sew, play the piano and the clarinet, traveled and served a mission for her church.  After graduating from school and returning from the mission, one morning her mother came downstairs and said, ""Hortense, I've not slept all night. I have been worried about you. I don't think you should go to San Diego. You have said several times you might like to go to BYU. Get yourself ready and go on to college. I don't think you will find San Diego the same place now that your mission is over. I would like to keep you here to run the dress shop for me. I have considered selling you the business. I know you could manage the shop and do a good job, but I won't make an old maid, out of you." So Hortense packed up and left for college the next morning.   

Hortense was nervous about going to school but she enjoyed her home economics classes and decided to major in that.  She was president of her sorority and had lots of friends and boyfriends.  When she was about to graduate in the sprint of 1934 her mother took ill and died in April.  Rosina insisted that she graduate and not come home to care for her or she might not graduate.  Hortense did graduate with her teaching credentials and accepted a job at a high school for a year before returning to take care of her father and the dress shop.  

That fall, one of her teachers came to the shop to visit and encouraged her to go on with more school about consumer education and bookeeping to be better at managing the shop.  So Hortense left again after Christmas to continue her education.  There she met my Grandfather G. Alvin Carpenter.  After two years of writing letters, they married June 10th, 1938.  Hortense worked for the State Extension Staff as a clothing specialist until they married and moved to Reno Nevada. 

After stints with Alvin's job in Reno and Berkeley, CA, and getting his PhD at Cornell in New York, they settled in Logan, Utah and began to raise a family.  Hortense put her homemaking skills into her three children, Paul, Don and Colleen.   She was a wonderful mother and taught the children to be hard workers with a couple of acres of fruit trees, gardens. chickens and a horse.  Hortense canned and froze all of the vegetables and fruit that they raised.  She made sure the children all had piano, speech and art lessons.  During this time she finished her work on her MS degree except for the thesis.  She also renewed her teaching certificate.  Little did she know how valuable that would be soon in her life.  

After 16 years in Logan, Alvin moved the family to work for the University of California at Berkeley in 1956.  Shortly after, Alvin was diagnosed with diabetes and Hortense became worried.  To quote her son Don, "She wanted to make sure she could support the family if necessary.  So she began as a substitute teacher and then accepted a full time position teaching home economics at Alhambra High School in Martinez California.  This proved to be a great blessing in her life.  Not only did the extra income help during the children's expensive college years, but it gave Hortense the added peace and assurance, increased self-confidence and new opportunities to serve others in ways that were rewarding and satisfying.  Having raised her own children, she felt more competent, and qualified to teach foods and nutrition, clothing, family finance, and family life than she ever felt as a young college graduate teaching home economics."

After 12 years of teaching, Hortense retired at the same time Alvin retired from UC Berkeley.  They moved to Provo, Utah to be closer to their grandchildren and Alvin worked for 10 more years as a part time faculty at BYU.  It was then that I got to spend most of my time with Grandma.  Each grandchild got to visit by themselves for a week and Grandma taught us how to sew, needlepoint, cook and we went for long walks in the mountains where she taught me the names of all the wildflowers. She organized summer sewing and home economics classes for the children in the neighborhood with her many sewing machines and the room she kept full of fabric. She made her granddaughters beautiful clothes and we had huge family dinners on Sundays and holidays. She loved to hear the piano recitals her grandchildren would perform and she used her many sets of china and dishes for entertaining.   She taught me that I was going to college, it was just a matter of which school I picked.  She knew that it was best for a woman to be prepared to have a career, even at a time when many women didn't.  

I'm thankful for a grandmother who taught me so much about kindness, faith, and courage.  When she passed, 6 years after Alvin did on July 6, 1991, she left a great legacy of determination and drive that I draw on today.  

Post written by Janet Hovorka, Owner, Family Chartmasters LLC

Resilience in a Health Challenge #ResilientRoots

 I've written before about my maternal Grandmother Eila Mae Romney Dana.  She was a beautiful lady and a wonderful grandmother to me.  She was always generous and I never doubted for a moment that I was the favorite.  She grew up in challenging circumstances.  Her father died of an appendicitis attack while on a business trip.  That left her mother, Viola, as a single mother in 1928.  Eila and her younger brother Douglas were only 7 years and 2 years old.  Her mother went back to business school and then to work at the local department store while Eila and Doug were shuttled back and forth with family and friends.  Shortly thereafter, Viola married Gifford Talbot and Eila had a step father.  They moved several times while Eila went to school so she got good at making new friends.

I've written here about how Eila married my grandfather Darrell Dana in the middle of World War II and he shipped out the day after they were married.  Truly they were part of the greatest generation.  They made alot of sacrifices when they were first married, but they ended up in Southern California and raised three beautiful children.  My grandfather worked for United Airlines as a mechanic and then always had a second job as well to support the family.  Eila served in her church and took care of the children.  They enjoyed a few vacations when Darrell could get away and went to Disneyland as often as they could.

In 1967, just months after her oldest daughter (my mother) was married, Eila was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  She started dragging her feet and couldn't do anything about it.  It quickly got progressively worse.  She was in the hospital when she received a note that my parents had called to tell her they were expecting me.  They released her in a wheelchair to go home for Christmas.  She was able to get up and around some over the next little while, but essentially when I started walking, she stopped walking.  Our trips to Disneyland included a stroller and a wheelchair.  

We visited my grandparents often to try to help as much as we could, so I got to spend a lot of time with my Grandma Dana.  She was a gentle soul and a great example to me of faith and peace amid crisis.  I don't remember her before the disease so I don't know if it made her more peaceful and ok with whatever comes.  But when I knew her, nothing rattled her.  I went to visit them by myself for about a week when I was about 8 years old.  I remember going out into the kitchen and trying to cook something--I'm sure I was making a mess. Grandpa was at work and it took great effort for Grandma to come down the hall and see what I was doing.  So she'd call to me and ask what was going on.  She was so patient.  And I have very fond memories of that trip and many other moments with her. When VCRs were invented, we watched many many hours of Disney videos together.  We loved Pooh Bear the most.


I never heard her complain although I knew she was frustrated with MS.  I heard her moan and grumble in pain when Grandpa had to lift her, but I never heard her speak a frustrated word about her situation.  Grandma and Grandpa looked for cures and help to get her walking again all through my childhood.  There was always some new hope that would help.  But nothing ever did.  Thankfully, medicine and help for MS would come, but by then, the disease had done too much damage.

One of the great ironies of their later lives were the chances for travel they had because of Darrell's career at United.  They had free tickets anywhere they wanted to go but it was so hard to travel with the wheelchair.  They bought a camper so they could visit their family members, and they did get to take a grand trip to Europe with their son Ken along to help.  Luckily they were able to move closer to the family in 1991 and they were able to stay close to their siblings, their kids and of course their grandchildren.

I remember lying next to Grandma in their adjustable bed watching TV one day when a program about Christopher Reid came on.  He had been paralyzed and was in a wheelchair.  She  shook her head and said, "I just don't know how he does it."  I don't remember if I turned to her and said, "Grandma, you're in the same situation." but I certainly thought it.  It didn't even occur to her that she was dealing with the same challenge.  It just was and she just dealt with it.

Alot of credit needs to go to Darrell too.  My Grandfather took exquisite care of her their entire life.  He rigged up a system in their bathroom so that she could use it without help and could be self sufficient while he was at work. At a time when men didn't take care of households, he took care of everything.  He was so good to her.   

Eila died in 2000, 33 years after her initial diagnosis.  She was the epitome of grace during a challenge.  The day she died, my mother sat with Darrell and thanked him for all of the years he took such good care of Grandma.  He said to her, "When you have something so precious, you take good care of it."  That is what both of my grandparents were to me--precious.  The 32 years I had with them were such an example to me, of true love, of perseverance, and of resilience.  I'm so thankful that I carry their DNA.

Post written by Janet Hovorka, Owner, Family Chartmasters LLC

Another interview and a lot of origin story

Wow.  We've been doing a whole bunch of conferences this spring and early summer.  We've been to Ohio, California twice, New Hampshire and several other conferences.  We love talking to our people.  And in Ohio, I was able to sit down with one of our old friends, Drew Smith of the Genealogy Guys Podcast.  What a delight it was to talk to him about what we have been doing lately and what got us to this point. 

You're welcome to listen in at http://genealogyguys.com/genealogy-connection-057-janet-hovorka-speaker-writer-entrepreneur.  I hope you'll enjoy the interview as much as I did.

Family History Puts History in Context

From our newsletter.

We've done charts for some amazing families this holiday season.  All families are amazing, but there were a few details this year that were striking.  We did one for a mob family that was fascinating.  We created a chart for a wealthy, self-made American family that married into one of the great European dynasties with lots of intrigue and difficult situations.  And my personal favorite--one of our charts included an astronaut who had died--the place of death listed was not on the earth.  It is such an honor to be able to help display these family histories.  

Without giving too many details, I have to tell you how striking it was for me to see history within the context of a family.  To see the photos of the humble beginnings and how each family had changed and shifted through time was amazing.  And seeing where each family is now, the relationships they've developed and the great heights and depths they have gone through was so moving to me.  And I'm not even a member of these families.  With every chart we send off, we hope that the family loves it as much as we do.  

Whether or not you can look up your family members in Wikipedia, seeing your own people and the way your family has moved through time is much more spectacular than all the examples we could ever show you in our gallery.  And our talented designers always come up with incredible, personalized designs for each of our client's incredible families.  Let us know when you are ready for a family history masterpiece.  We're excited to help you show off your incredible history too. 

Gratitude and The Buzbees & the Booths

I have lots of pictures of Bruce and Mike and Laurie and Sandy (of RootsMagic.com)--and most of them are shots across from a restaurant table. Bruce and Mike are the real definition of mentors.  They have been there for us from the very beginning and we have learned SO much from them. I think they first mentored us because they didn't want to have to do their own chart printing-LOL-but I'm so glad they didn't. We have spent so many hours over the years talking about the genealogy industry, about how to run a business, and how to run a business in this crazy genealogy industry. I can credit them for so many of our business processes and marketing successes.  It was Bruce and Mike who first talked me into starting a blog. Yeah that. So this first photo is to show how far back we go with these old friends.  Yikes.  I don't want to think about how much we've aged.

4th of July 2008

Bruce and Mike have been the greatest of friends--even working for them doing phones for a while to help ease the pain of being a startup.  They have advocated for us and taught us.  Truly great mentors.  And always fun to talk to.  These are the guys who taught us to hit up two restaurants in a night. Talk about mentors!

Which brings us to doing triathlons.  More years ago than I want to admit, I got to spend lots of time with Laurie and some of their kids (Kristy here) doing triathlons.  I'd like to take credit for getting them into that--until my health issues slowed me down.  But they've kept going and they're freaking awesome. It was really lots of fun.

Laurie's surprise birthday party

Recently we've been having dinner together again regularly and we always look forward to talking with them.  I save up all of my analysis about the people and entities in the industry to bounce off Bruce and I'm always interested in his take on the situation. Figuring things out is always fun together and if everyone would just do what we think they should, we'd solve all the problems in the world.  It is so good to have a sounding board and now-- and after all these years, some really good old friends.

Gratitude and Maureen Taylor

One of the greatest blessings I have had in this career in genealogy is in the dear friendship I have with Maureen Taylor (https://maureentaylor.com)  I have so many friends who are impressed that I even know this amazing lady--and they should be.  But I also get to call her a dear friend. She is so talented!  She can identify a family photograph from a mile away.  She's earned the respect of everyone throughout the industry as a hard worker and a brilliant historian. She is a wonderful speaker and a genuinely kind person.  I am just delighted every time I get to spend some time with her.  

When she came to stay with me a while ago, she brought me this cute little dish and I keep my curling pins in it on the vanity in my bathroom.  It makes me smile every morning when I think of Maureen. One of my love languages is gifts, and it takes me back every morning when I think that she may actually think that I make the world a better place.  

Maureen has been an awesome sounding board for the challenges I come up with in my career.  I'm always happy to hear from her over the phone and I know I can always turn to her when I need something. I am so thankful to have a confidant with such a wide range of experience in the industry who I can trust to be honest with and to understand what I'm feeling. We often run into the same challenges in our companies and I learn so much from her. You can't put a price on a girlfriend like that.  

Maureen and Erin in Malibu this summer

We've had many fun times at conferences throughout the years.  She's always silly and up for an adventure--in business and in life.  I've written before about how gracious she was to take care of me when I got to stay with her in Rhode Island.  We've had some delightful time together.  All of the ladies I work with love her too of course.  She's easy to get along with and good to hang out with anyone. We have fun! She has been a lovely addition to my life and my career.  And I can't wait to see what the next idea is that we cook up together.

And most recently, Maureen was incredibly sweet when I was having trauma over a big birthday.  She went out of her way to send these beautiful roses.  She said they reminded her of me because they were in a Victorian arrangement.  They were a beautiful welcome to the "half century" club.  But more than that, they were a great reminder of how blessed I am to have such a dear dear ally.  Thanks Maureen.  I treasure our friendship

Gratitude and Crista Cowan

Silly Crista (with Lorilee Wagner who is also a dear lady)

In this month of thankfulness, I'm feeling the need to express my gratitude for my dearest friend Crista Cowan (Ancestry.com/The Barefoot Genealogist).  I honestly think Crista and I are like Anne Shirley and Diana Berry-bosom friends and kindred spirits "to whom I can confide my inmost soul."  It is hard to put into words how much my friendship with Crista has meant to me.  She is one of the greatest blessings of my life. 

I'm not sure how I got so lucky as to be able to be close friends with her.  Well I am a little--I stalked her one year at SLIG and I love making healthy dinners for her (we've both been recently diagnosed as diabetic). But in return it is hard to quantify how much that has changed my life. But from the first night we had dinner together at SLIG, we clicked.  We have the same world view.  We care about the same things.  We usually have the same opinions on people and situations. We both want to save the world in the same way.  It's like we've known each other for much longer than just this lifetime.

I am privileged every time I get to spend time with her.  There are so many who clamor for Crista's attention.  I once called her "she who gets 10,000 likes with every sneeze and 12,000 comments with every cough." or something along those lines.  There are so many who clamor for her talents and skills.  She changes lives right and left with her storytelling skills and unbelievable research talents.  She uncovers family stories and finds adoptees' lineages like the rest of us blink.  She changes lives daily. She makes it look easy.  And what I love about Crista the most is that she understands the power that this family history holds.  She knows what we are doing in genealogy and finds it a sacred duty.  She is truly a woman of light and power like no one else on earth.



Crista has made an immeasurable difference in my life and in our business.  I couldn't begin to list all of the things I have learned from her.  I bask in her passion for family history.  Even though we often talk late into the night, I often can't sleep afterward because I am so excited about the ideas she's brought me.  I am so grateful for how Crista's breadth of experience enriches my professional life, but I'm even more grateful for her influence in my personal life.  She is truly a great treasure and I honored to call her my friend.

Retreat

For a couple of years now we've taken our team up to Park City for a weekend to relax, have fun, evaluate, and think through ideas about how we can better serve you.  These have been some of our most productive days, and have made a big difference in the efficiency of the company and the value we are able to bring you.  Everyone has worked so hard this year, we wanted to take care of them and treat them to something.

Our new designers group photo

This year, as part of the retreat, we also treated our designers to makeovers and a photo shoot for some new plans we have for the website.  I'm so excited to show you what we have in store there but that will have to wait for now.  What I can show you though, is how much fun we had. 

Erin having her makeup done

Doesn't Stacy look beautiful?

Waiting their turn at Seiren Salon

Beautiful Marti making us beautiful.

A stop for tea at the Grand America

Relaxing with tea and cakes.

Adorable Sassy Karli.  Isn't she the cutest?

Grub Steak in Park City

All the goodies

Putting our feet up

Hanging out.  Too Many laughs

Great-Grandmother's Cottage Chees Pancakes

Famous Legers sandwiches

So apparently I take more photos of food than of people.  But those were the only times we stopped to take a breath.  Rest assured--we came up with some mammoth new ideas about how to improve our services around here and I can't wait to put them into effect.  Just watch.  2019 is going to be our best yet!