It’s nearly 26 years now since I fell totally in love with genealogy, and I’m recalling some special moments. As the oldest child of an oldest of an oldest of an oldest, I remember five great-grandparents and heard a lot of family history during my growing-up years. But the actual research was kicked into gear by a little boy whose ear infection had totally mixed up his sleep schedule.

When Grammy took Scott home to Abbot to give us a couple days’ respite, I made my first trip to the Maine State Library and Archives in Augusta.

A quarter-century later, I have dozens of pedigree charts for my Moore-Steeves family, and even more than that for my husband’s Saucier-Chamberland forebears.

But it’s the people and experiences I cherish most. I suppose I’ll always tear up remembering the evening I spoke to the Abbot Historical Society with my mom and dad and several other relatives in attendance. I felt 11 years old again, trying to do my best at a spelling bee.

Equally memorable was the day my dad asked me to take him to the family grave-sites around Piscataquis County. Now that he’s been gone more than a year, those are special memories, indeed.

My mom and I are still making memories. Last summer, she, my sister Maureen and I went to the Steeves reunion in Clinton for descendants of Harry and Thressa Given Steeves, originally from Saint John, New Brunswick. It thrills me to find that cousins I haven’t seen in years are equally fascinated with our German roots.

My husband, Gaelen, has been a willing partner in many of my adventures, helping me search cemeteries and settlements. In 1978, we visited cousin Paul and Emma Bennett in Freeport to get directions to Bennett Rock, one of several large boulders that mark homesteads from 1600s Dogtown in Gloucester, Mass. Yes, we found the rock.

I also had started corresponding with cousins from another Bennett line, Sumner and Elena Bennett of California, and the next summer they came to Maine.

One hot day, we did “the cemetery tour.” In Parkman, I showed them the grave of Matilda Briggs, daughter of Revolutionary War soldier William Hayford Sr. She is buried next to Parkman Baptist Church, by the side of her husband, Abiathar Briggs Sr. The stone lists her as his consort.

“Doesn’t that sound romantic?” I asked my West Coast cousins. “It sounds as though they really wanted to be together.” Actually, consort indicates that Matilda died before her husband. Otherwise, she’d have been “relict” or “widow.”

The largest reunion we’ve attended was a gathering of 500 descendants of Belone and Edith Chasse Chamberland in St. Agathe. My husband’s French-speaking cousins came from as far away as Japan for that one.

I’ve met countless cousins of my own, and of course new friends. I joined the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Mayflower Society and several historical societies. And a lot of the special moments have come courtesy of this column, which Connee Jellison and I have shared over most of 19 years.

On Sept. 6, it was nice to speak about researching with newspapers during a workshop at the Maine Genealogical Society meeting in Fairfield. I learned from my listeners, too, and probably will give that talk in the Bangor area at some point.

You don’t have to take the path I chose. Just write down a few memories, look over the family Bible, invite some cousins to a barbecue. As much as you want to do, or as little, can touch your life as it has mine.

Along the way, I hope you’ll send in a query. Maybe you’ll hear from that relative who knows that special bit of information you’ve been wondering about.

3236. SILVA-CURTIS. Would like to correspond with my relatives of Gladys (Silva) Curtis, who also married a Reed. Gladys b. about 1920-1922. She had Richard and Elton (Blackie) Curtis, who would be my second cousins. J.E. Deacon, 111/2 North Van Buren Ave., Apt. 303, Freeport, IL 61032.

3237. DEAN-RUSSELL. Seeking parents and ancestors of Luke Dean’s wife, Rebecca Russell, of Dedham, Mass. All I have on her, besides her name, is that she md. Luke Dean Aug. 16, 1771, most likely in Dedham. He was b. May 29, 1750, to Joseph II and Hannah Baker Dean. Luke and Rebecca had son Colburn Dean, b. in Dover, Mass., June 23, 1799. Danny W. Howard, DECF Box 428, Machiasport, ME 04655.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to

familyti@bangordailynews.net.