About the Family Historian: KimSue

How I Began Family History Research: My Genealogy Tale

Like many genealogists and family historians I have met of late, I stumbled upon ancestry research originally as part of a much smaller project, but curiosity got the best of me and my interest in genealogy has grown tenfold since the onset.  A secondary English/Language Arts Education student in 2000, I began by doing college coursework where I had to collect folklore and write a report which would be added to the OSU Folklore Library archives for all to see.  What better way to get top grades than to do a project on what you think you know best: I chose my own family, specifically the stories of my already-deceased grandfather Harold HAINS.  He passed away from Leukemia when I was only seven, making that New Year's Day the worst I would ever have.  So, I decided to delve into his past and find out why I heard such conflicting things about whom I thought to be such a wonderful man.

After completing my report, including transcripts of 2 personal interviews (one of my grandmother Lucy HAXTON Hains & the other of my mother Sally HAINS) and a self-written perspective about Grandpa HAINS, I received a perfect grade but was surprised at how unsatisfied I was: I didn't want my project to end.  However, at that point in time, I had NO time to spare for personal research or projects. -- I was still a full-time student taking more than the maximum-allowed credit-hours, and I was also doing volunteer extra-hours at my student-teaching assignments, not to mention that I was a wife and un-official event planner for the families it seemed.  Nonetheless, I continued to try to find chances to do some family research.

During my interim year between undergrad and graduate studies (2001-02) when I spent a full year completing pre-requisite courses, I again saw a chance to use my new passion in my college studies.  I didn't get too far, unfortunately, as my project this time round could only last less than another short university-length quarter, and it had to include very specific folklore details, focusing on one particular aspect or person.  I found during my interviews of the family that love-stories seemed to be something that cropped up into every interview without prompting.  This became my focal point.  Good news, though-- I was able to research one branch of my tree, the HAXTON line, back as far as I have today, thanks to the footwork of my great-grandfather, whose work was passed down to me by my only HAXTON granduncle, eager to share family history and an old hobby.

Since those days, I have found more fairly-close family members also working on family history, like my cousin Lori Jackey whose dedication and enduring selflessness has greatly contributed to my DOWNS family tree or my husband's long-lost cousins Edna & Sandi who have helped me to piece together his side of the tree.  I don't always get to my PC to work as often as I like, as I am a stay-at-home mom of 2 very young children, but my knowledge of genealogy and research in general have grown by leaps and bounds these last nearly 7 years.  Ancestry research is my passion outside of my family-time, and I long for more growth! 

 KimSue's personal story

I was born in 1973 in Columbus, Ohio.  Although my family & I frequented Columbus (only living about 20 miles south of our first family home),  I mainly grew up in Orient, Ohio in a sub-division called Clark Lakes.  I attended Westfall Local Schools in Pickaway county, where I graduated 3rd in my class of about 119 (technically, I was salutatorian as both #1 & 2 tied for first) and then headed to Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.  After 5 hard years in Milwaukee, including an abusive marriage and subsequent divorce, I decided to return home to my family back in Ohio. 

Mentally set on never again being in a relationship with anyone I had not known at least 5 years, your author found love in a reconnected friendship of my brother's childhood friend Eddie SLAGLE (b. 1966), a friendship lost over years of separation after the mass move in 1978 when the boys' school changed districts, a friend who had essentially been part of the Downs' family circle 3 years before I was even born.  Growing up, Eddie & I were like siblings: he wanted nothing to do with me, yelling at his mother to get me out of his room during gatherings, and me wanting some attention from my oldest brother and his friends that I looked up to. 

At the time of my own divorce, Eddie had been suffering a similar situation, which helped our love blossom, and in late summer 1999, we wed in Columbus amongst family and only the closest of friends.

8 years, 2 college degrees (both from Ohio State), and 2 children later, Eddie & I are still happy in love and living in Galloway, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.  Currently, I'm at home full-time with our kids, but I squeeze in time for research and honing my computer skills as much as time allows.  In addition to my research and computing interests and when opportunity abounds, I also enjoy a variety of crafts, such as scrapbooking, sewing, and ceramics, helping friends & family with computer tasks (such as web publishing, photo/video editing and family research), and I am an avid OSU fan, volunteering each home football game as an usher at the Ohio Stadium.

KimSue's Documents & Sources

Census Records: (email or write to KimSue for copies)

1. As the 1930 US Census is the last released census records, there are no such documents for KimSue as yet.  Try back in another 40-50 years (ha, ha).

Death Records

Graves

Obituaries

Other Docs

Earnie SLAGLE's upholstery business card, ca 1989	Eddie & KimSue's marriage certificate, 1999