Scott Fulkerson

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Categories: WikiTree Leaders | United States Army, Persian Gulf War | 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), United States Army | 1st Cavalry Division, United States Army | Southwest Asia Service Medal | Army Service Ribbon | Army Good Conduct Medal | Army Commendation Medal | Army Achievement Medal.

Biography

I've been an on again, off again genealogist for about 20 years or more. I have to say that my interest began years ago, when I just wanted to know a bit more about my family. I gathered some initial documentation together, stored a bit of it on an older program called Brother's Keeper, and then my interest waned... and it all went in a box and disappeared for awhile.

Then real life happened... my maternal grandparents passed away. My paternal grandfather passed away. My paternal grandmother passed away. My great-Aunt passed away. And then one of my father's brothers, my Uncle, passed away. Wow... so much history lost in just a few short years. So much I could have stopped and asked had I only known what was coming. But at the time I had more important things to do - get married, raise a family... and create a history of my own.

So I've rediscovered my love for genealogy, for a number of reasons. One - it gives me a great opportunity to preserve those things I know and want to make sure that others have the opportunity to know and remember as well. So much is lost when we pass away and we miss that opportunity to record our history. I guess I just want to do what I can to keep that memory of my loved ones alive. And second, it is just fun and exciting to find out all these stories about my family, your family, and heck - everyone's family! We've all got wonderful and interesting stories to tell about each other's families, and I think it's just a great way to learn not only do we all have unique stories to tell, but when it comes down to it, so many stories have similarities to them in a way that tells me that deep down we're all a lot alike in ways we could have never imagined.

So me? I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana - born to a Kentucky Dad and Indiana Mom. My wife? Floridian, but raised in Baltimore. My kids? One born in New York near an Army Fort, and the other in Indianapolis. So we're from a bit of all over. Her parents - Delaware and Georgia. We've got several states covered with our families alone.

I was a bit of a bright kid - didn't quite make valedictorian, but did fairly well. Went to college, wasn't quite ready, so joined the Army. Met my wife there, got married, had my first child, and got out. Somewhere in between all that, ended up in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Desert Storm. Finished my degree, went into computers and learned all about them, and ended up fixing a lot of them. Eventually I got involved with Project Management, and now I manage computer related projects.

My interests? Computers. Gaming when I can find time. Reading, especially fantasy, swords and sorcery, science fiction - although after getting back into genealogy, I find myself reading more biographies these days, imagine that! I enjoy my family and while my boys are both grown, I still love to hear their stories of the history that they're building with their lives now. I probably spend WAY too much time on WikiTree, but I really like what I see that can be done with true collaboration on a site that's not afraid to take a chance and go out of their way to help one another.

My research areas?

New Netherlands - where my father's family started with Dirck Volkertsen back around 1600-1634-ish. And any way-back research on my lines - too many to mention here, but constantly scouring the web and sources for the next tiny clue that opens up that next relative in the line.

I'm always trying to improve my local family tree, exploring the Fulkersons, Leamans, Hicks, and Evans lines - and many others too numerous to count.

I'm also the Notables Leader (well - one of them) and am regularly looking into how we can continue to improve our Notables on the site, mostly focusing on those areas that don't currently have a sister project of their own. This involves areas such as: Arts and Entertainment, Sports Figures and Athletes, Scientists and Inventors, Explorers and Traders, then Religion, Military, and Political Figures where existing projects don't overlap.

I'm also working as a member on the Cemeteries project, and have a very large formerly Masonic cemetery near the house where I'm sure it could keep me busy for YEARS to get it properly documented and all their family trees researched.

And I have in the back of my mind to start a little mini-project for the area my ancestors first settled in Kentucky - Ohio County - coal mining territory, although my family were mostly farmers way back. I'd like to take on one of the early Censuses of the area and break down all the families in the area and dig up one of the histories written for the area and see who was who, where they went from there, and do a bit of family tracking of these pioneers who tamed the great unknown.

WHEW! It's no wonder I'm busy...