No family history journey is ever truly traveled alone. While countless records, photographs and documents have helped me to piece together the stories of my ancestors, I owe an equally heartfelt debt of gratitude to the generous researchers, distant cousins, librarians, historians, and friends who shared their time, knowledge, and encouragement along the way.
I want to especially acknowledge two family members who have been instrumental in the success of my journey by sharing their research and photos, re-directing me when necessary, and asking the ‘right questions’ in order that I might dig a little deeper. I will forever be indebted to all the time they spent with me whether virtually or in-person and their expansive patience with my questions and my often over-exuberance when I’ve discovered things that are especially exciting. I am profoundly grateful for them.
My second cousin, Mr. Ashley E. Chase of Tecumseh, Michigan, passed away in October 2025 and I think of him often on my continued journey without his guidance and presence in my life.
Ashley published his first book of photos and images in 2017 in the 160-page book, Tecumseh: Images of the Past. It features more than 275 photos, ranging from 1860 to 2017. Ashley has collected photos and postcards for the past 40 years, most of which had never been seen by the general public until the book was published. The 160-page book, Tecumseh: Images of the Past, features more than 275 photos, ranging in time from 1860 to 2017.
Sara E. Campbell is not only an expert genealogist, speaker, historian, and author, she is also my distant cousin who I discovered via her family genealogy blog. We are connected via the Colman/Coleman and Dole lines.
https://progenstudygroups.com/cm-expert-directory/sara-e-campbell/
Dorris J. (Sickels) Smith as a published author and exceptional genealogical researcher. She was instrumental in helping me uncover my maternal family lines, particularly those with roots in Steuben County, Indiana. Several of her publications are held in the historical collection at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Over the years, Dorris shared countless family treasures with me and helped “fill in the blanks’ with stories and details she had gathered through decades of research. Although we connected later in her life and had only about eight years to collaborate, what she shared with me became an invaluable part of my own family history research.
Dorris was married to my maternal great uncle, DeBurl Smith, making her the sister-in-law of my grandmother, Audra (Smith) Luttrell. She passed away in 2019, but her research – and her generosity in sharing it with me – continues to be a meaningful part of the work I do today.
