December 1999:
Purchased a Computer and went on-line. I LOVE computer's!

January 2000:
Saw a banner for Ancestry.com, did a simple search for "Perkins"and"McCrossen" Got a few "hits" and was hooked and lured in!

January 25:
I haven't done any research since Gloria died. I can't seem to concentrate on any thing. No matter what I am doing thoughts of one of the most important people in my 41 year old life flood my mind with memories. I am so filled with worry about Mama, losing a Daughter, And of Jason, losing his Mom.

February 2000:
I'm thinking that this genealogy stuff will be a good way to involve Mama in a "project" I printed out some family group sheets via Ancestry.com. And brought them with me on my last visit. Mama filled me in on a lot of blanks about the Perkins/McCrossen clans, And really seemed to enjoy it!

February 27:
Sent for the SS5 for my Grandma (Pyron/Ullom) Whittle. I am anxious to recieve it so I can clarify the spelling of my Great Gram Thiehoffs name.

March 2000:
Spent the afternoon "interviewing" Mama. What a great Day.At 83 Mamas mind is sharp as a tack. Together our latest puzzle is exactly where did Benjamin R. McCrossen come from? Of course we knew her Father was Benjamin McCrossen Perkins, However, we also knew that we had a Benjamin R. McCrossen that we could not fit into any of the Family groups!
Subscribed to a few surname lists at Rootsweb.com, Lots of e-mail started coming to me!

April 2000:
Got a notebook for all the paper I was generating.

Posted lots of quieries= no hits. Having fun reading.
Recieved the SS5 on Lucille Ullom. It clearly shows her fathers name her mothers name has a huge ink spot directly over her name. Ugh... so disapointing.

May 2000:
I bought myself a present! A "World Family Tree Maker Program" I Love it!
I love genealogy!

Ok, Is it Mary G. Wait Or Mary L. Waite? A burning question! My Mom felt it was L. standing for Louisa. 3 or 4 females have Louisa or variations of.
I searched Census records and found David, Mary and Medora McCrossen in Armada Michigan in 1870. Golly it looks like a G. Hummm. Brought up the image to about 50%, then 100%, had to go way up to about 500% magnification and low and behold its an L. written in such a fancy script, now I can understand the confusion.

Still getting LOTS of e-mail from the lists. E-mailed a fellow "Rathbone" researcher. We had a link! He sent me all kinds of Family group sheets and compiled history on the "Rathbone/Rathbun" clan.

June 2000:
Went on line to do some research. Got so far in through so many "links" I forgot what I had originally wanted to do.

July 2000:

July 11:
I've started making a mid-week visit to Mamas in addition to Sunday's Jason has been in the Hospital again for his diabetes, This time they are talking about a longterm care facility for him. His doctor's have told him that his Kidneys are failing, dyalisis is probably next for him.

July 19:
My mind was spinning so I drove the Bouquet Canyon Road to Mamas. It always seems to relax me a little bit winding through it, I have to concentrate on driving so it actually helps ease my mind of worry. However, this drive was anything but tranquel, I came upon 2 dogs, One had been hit by a car and it's mate was lying beside it, in the road. I was totally overcome with emotion! I had to help these dog's! Unfortunatly it was to late for her compainion. I checked the house nearby, no one had seen these dogs before. The little female was absoluely skin and bones and I knew that she was most likely "dumped" sadly this is an occurence that happens all to frequently in the canyon. I scooped her up and put her in my pickup, gave her some water, and off we headed to Mamas. I had no idea how Mamas cat's would handle this "stranger" in their house. Well, They actually did fine, after some initial hissing! I put the lost girl in the back bedroom with some water and a blanket, She was completly exhasted and needed some much deserved sleep. Mama and I had a nice visit and we talked about the latest on my research. She is really getting into this as much as I am! I left her some blank notebooks to jot notes down in. I drove home with my lost girl in the front cab with me, She slept the whole way, most likely wondering where we were headed now! Oh what am I going to do! We've already got 2 dogs and a cat! I knew I had work cut out for me with this little dog!

July 24:
Got introduced to the "Roblee" list @ rootsweb. More connections! I love genealogy!


July 28:
I have been spending more time trying to find "the lost girls" way back home that I haven't done any research! I am running "found" ads in 3 papers, so far no response.

August 2000:

August 6:
Drove the canyon to Mamas, Thank goodness not a dog to be seen!
I had already decided that we would just "visit" and not do too much "genealogy work", Kind of like a Day off to revive ourselve! We talked about everthing that's going on in our lives over a nice lunch. I went about my chores, gathering up laundry and putting away some groceries that I had brought with me. After I vacumed and tidied up I was gathering my things when Mama asked me" When are you going to ask me about Gramps?" I was a little suprised and I admitted to her that I thought all my quizzing and questions were a bit tiring for her. Mama had tears in her eyes when she said "Darla, Of all you girls you are the only one who ever showed such an interest in my past! Honey, I like it and please, next time let me decide when I'm getting tired of it!" By this time I had tears in my eye's too. Not for Mama or myself, but for my Sister's. I cried because I knew what great memories and stories this facinating Lady had left to tell. I hugged her like I never wanted to let her go and told her to start jotting down more notes for next week, because we would be at it again. I really learned something Today. Never Never will I make up Mamas mind for her, thinking I'm "helping"

August 11:
Recieved a call regarding my "lost Girl" not a match for the dog they lost, Darn. Lost girl is actually looking better, gaining weight and settling in ... Settling in ?????? am I crazy? She thinks shes home!

I'm still getting LOTS of E-mail from my lists that I subscribe to, Jeeze, I gotta pare those down!

September 2000:
Mama gave me an evelope full of great stuff! She gave me the Wedding certificate from her parents, Benjamin and Alice Perkins; Her Grandpa Perkins "Resolution of Respect" from the Mason's Lodge in Ada; Her Dads Diploma and her own Diploma. I was so happy to get these items from her!

September 2:
Searched all over the place! I am having real success at County and State resources at rootsweb. I found some interesting Bio's on the McCrossen clan at the MI KENT site

September 27:
Another connection from the Roblee list! He sent me a pedigree chart on my Chloe.

October 2000:
I've been updating my FTW, adding photos, and am creating a homepage through the FTW site

November 2000:
Jason was released from Seventh Day Adventist Hospital on the November 17, His longest hospital stay ever ... 88 Day's. Jason had a "shunt" put in his arm for dyalisis it will begin in December.

December 2000:
I was searching Chicasaw County, Iowa on the rootsweb site and saw a querie for the surname "Ullom" (pronounced Ul as in Ulrich and lom like plum = Ullom) anyways I saw a post from a Lady that had a zillion Ullom's in her files! Maybe I could find my Chester Claude Ullom! I sent her an E-mail and she replied back that she could get back to me after the Holidays. There might be a connection!