And now we are FOUR!

It's been four years since I drove down to my county courthouse to file the paperwork to create Keep Family History Services. There's something so exciting about taking a first step toward a big change. I can only imagine what it felt like for my ancestors when they took a deep breath and stepped in a new direction. Whether it was making arrangements for a marriage bond, purchasing passage to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, or hitching up a wagon to head West.

Like my ancestors, I didn't know what exactly was waiting for me on the path ahead, but I felt compelled to take this new step forward. I'm so grateful for the experiences  I've had over the past four years. This year I've been entrusted with several stories shared by clients which have given me some very unique opportunities to learn about Michigan's history. The more I learn about my adoptive home state, the more I love it here!

I also had some wonderful opportunities to work on my own genealogy this year. My family was very fortunate to be able to spend the month of October in Sweden. While we were there, I did a deep dive into my Swedish ancestry and we were able to take a day to drive around to different places where my family lived. Before we flew home I was able to visit the Kristina statue in Copenhagen, Denmark, where my Swedish ancestors Bengt Jonsson and Anna Håkansdotter each departed for "Amerika" in the 1850s. Standing by the water I couldn't help but think of how they felt about leaving their homeland behind, not knowing what waited for them on the other side of their journey. I'm so grateful for stories of faith and fortitude like theirs to guide me as I have journeyed into the unknown in my own life. 

I continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19 on my work and am so grateful to be able to return to in-person research at the Library and Archives of Michigan this fall. The genealogical community has continued to offer wonderful educational opportunities via Zoom. I appreciate the support of this community and am looking forward to all the stories waiting to be discovered over the next year!