Ancestry.com – great for finding our ancestors, and spectacular for making cousin connections!
On February 2, 2014, I sent a message through Ancestry.com to Sherece Lamke, whose family tree contained information on Aaron Day and his wife, Martha. What ensued after that initial contact was a flurry of emails back and forth, as we joyously exchanged information. Sherece, who was significantly further along on tracing our shared Day family lines, generously shared with me the findings of consultants whom she’d paid to help break down brick walls. Together over the last 1 1/2 years we’ve taken that initial research and have solved additional puzzles, having a blast along the way! I’d hoped that one day we’d get to meet, and that day finally came! Last Friday Sherece, accompanied by her mother and aunt, met my son and I in the small town of Readfield, Maine, starting off at the Case Cemetery, where our 5th great grandfather, John Day, is buried.
Next, we followed members of the Readfield and Manchester historical societies to the North Manchester Church where John had worshiped with his family.
While our day was fabulous, the best was yet to come!
Thanks to Ancestry, I was able to connect with yet another cousin who descended from Aaron and Martha. Earlier in the week Nora Quinn and I had begun exchanging messages through Ancestry.com, discussing our shared heritage and comparing research notes. I was delighted to learn that Nora had a copy of a letter penned by Day descendant Lucy Whitten in the mid-19th century, questioning her own heritage and ancestry with another family member. She also found hidden in her home archives a photo of her ancestor, Harriet (Day) Freeman, sister of my 3rd great grandmother, Cynthia. I felt like I’d hit the genealogical jackpot! Nora invited me and Sherece over for a visit, and we had a wonderful time sharing our family history – three Day descendants who met all because of Ancestry.com!