Use what you will, share what you would like and always come back to see what's new. If you need help, write me, I'm always willing to try to help, especially someone just starting their family tree.
For the past several years I have been researching my family in the LDS Research Centers, online at the various sites, some free and some paid, through family members that I've found on the Internet and immediate family as well. People I've met on Rootsweb, Ancestry and Yahoo lists and a variety of historical societies have also helped me. Genealogists are a great lot. Most are eager to help their fellow researcher and I really enjoy keeping in touch with relatives I've met around the world that have a common interest in family history.
Over the years I learned that no cemetery is too small, no clue should be overlooked, as each is another piece of my family puzzle. I just love a good mystery and genealogy can certainly be a mystery at times.
My search started when I posted my first inquiry on the Clinton Iowa, Rootsweb list.. A very wonderful woman who works for the historical society sent me a short bio of my great grandfather Lake that had come to the US from Wales. From there I followed the path of least resistance. As I began to search I found more and more on this Lake family from Trelleck, Monmouthshire, Wales. My passion grew and now here are the results.
This is not the end; it is merely a progress report, because there is always one more clue, one more mystery and one more family to search. My favorite saying is with every answer comes 10 more questions. I would have a big void in my life if I were DONE.
My web design skills are non-existent, so bear with me as I learn and improve. I hope you will check back here often to see what is new as I have more to add. Recently I tried again to add my family history files as a web-site created by my database program and this time I must have done something right as the file loaded and now my complete database is online. Well, almost complete. I've deleted people born after 1918 for security sake.
Please report any broken links to char@charsbrokenbranches.com. Thank you.
1841Census,
BMD and other records
1725-1812
updated 5/30/2010
Class list and photos
US Army - Fort Eustis, VA - 1953
Class list and photos
Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut
Class list
Updated 11/8/2009
Pictures of England, Wales, Belguim, U.S, Ellis Island and more
Updated 9/18/2009
updated 9/6/2007