After a series of sudden ideas and strange coincidences, the next generation of Yerks family unfolded before me within hours.  This generation has been troubling me for a long time, as I was unable to find the parents of George Oakley Yerks as listed on his death certificate.  I think the officials may have guessed

Well, the first of two DNA Tests are back.  The Paternal Lineage Test (Y-Chromosome 46) is the test used to help me find genetic cousins on my father’s side.  It has determined that I am a member of the R1b Haplogroup,  also known as the “Artisans” .  Below is a short description of the R1b  Haplogroup that comes directly from

In one last act of desperation to find some type of mention of Ralph Yerks at a War Memorial,  I emailed the Rye Historical Society to ask them if there was a War Memorial in Rye.  Rye was the only town that I had had not visited because I was unfamiliar with it.  Within 12 hours, I received

Ralph Yerks (born April 4, 1894 in Bedford Hills, New York) served and died for his country in World War I, yet we cannot find a memorial in Westchester County that recognizes him. Ralph Yerks, Private, U.S. Army 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division Entered the Service from: New York Died: September 13, 1918 Buried at:

This video is a compilation of our wedding photographs to our wedding song, “All I Ask Of You”. We used the actual original cast recording from “Phantom of The Opera” in the wedding because it held special meaning for both of us. For my 1988 Christmas gift to Colleen, I gave her a multi-part christmas

On April 18, 1906 San Francisco was wrecked by a Great Earthquake at 5:13 a.m.. The subsequent seventh Great Fire  burned for four days. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of trapped persons died when South-of-Market tenements collapsed as the ground liquefied beneath them. Most of those buildings immediately caught fire, and trapped victims could not be rescued.

Last weekend, I took a trip to visit my Mom in Katonah, NY.  Every time I see my Mom, I interrogate her with questions about the family. Frankly, she should be pretty sick of me by now, but she keeps on entertaining me with a smile. So I decided to ask her about some jewelry

This picture comes to us from the estate of Virginia Tierney Bishop, my Mom's first cousin.  She died in April of 2008 and left us quite a bit to investigate.  This picture is a scan of the original that I found in a little protective picture frame, stashed away in her desk.  A little note

Many people have been asking what I have been doing to obtain so much information about my family in such short of a time. I am sure that there are many strategies that could be employed, but here is mine. Talk to Living Family Members BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! I cannot stress this point enough.