A Small Request

• Please understand that I am not a professional genealogist. I am a mom and a wife first. While I do my best to respond to emails when I receive them, it's possible that it might take me a while to get back to you.

• I didn't do all this research. I admit it freely. If you ask for information from me, and I don't know it as absolute fact personally, I will tell you where I got it.

• Asking me for more information about "William" will get you nothing but a response saying "William WHO?" If you ask me for information, be as specific as possible, even if you think you're being redundant. The more information you give me, the faster I can find what you're looking for. I have 15,000 people in my database (as of October 2002), I really need you to be specific.

• If you are student working on a family history project, don't expect me to write your paper for you. I will answer questions, but don't just send me email telling me to send you everything I have about John Smith. (I've really had this happen; it's rude, and it's inexcusable.)

• Please acknowledge that you got whatever response I send you. A thanks would be nice, but a simple "got it" is sufficient, so I know that you did in fact get my email.

• If you find an error on a page, please correct me! I ask that you tell me what information you're correcting, though. I've received email from people telling me that Mary's son's name was Josh, not Jordan, without telling me any last names, making me ask them to clarify who they're talking about. Being explicit is much more efficient.

• I really love hearing from you. If you knew someone on these pages personally, share an anecdote. If Great-uncle Jim was a master card-sharp, and always won all the potato chips when you played poker with him, that's fun to know. Is it important? Maybe not, but things like that make history, and genealogy, live.

• My research and my notes are freely shared, as is my time. I do this because I love it. Meeting other people who also love it is a special treat. If you're one of the ones I've "met" and corresponded with, thank you for enriching my life. (I really mean that!)