Bill Sekel Jr
Honor Code SignatorySigned 20 Mar 2014 | 38,316 contributions | 4,568 thank-yous | 664 connections
"vita enim mortuorum memoriam vivorum est posita" Cicero.
"No sky to high, no sea to deep. Marine Corps parachutist and Navy diver, no fear."
My genealogical journey started when I was going through my father's papers and found my mother's birth certificate. It had her mother's maiden name on it, it was a name I had never seen or heard of before. Her parents died with she was very young and she was raised by two very kind people who I will always consider as my grand parents.
I visited several genealogical web sites and out of all the sites, I found a profile of my biological grand mother here on WikiTree. I knew what my biological grand fathers name was and now here was a profile staring me in the face that had both their names on it but listed no children. I contacted the profile manager and was soon corresponding with a new found cousin.
I became obsessed with trying to prove it and I was soon overrun with pieces of paper. Census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, obituaries and newspaper articles of all my deceased Aunt's and Uncle's. Of course I had cousins telling me this and that but their stories were always different from each other so I had to find out for myself.
Being able to connect my mother and her siblings to this profile was one of the most self satisfying things I have done and I now have a family tree to present to my grand children.
For me it was also the "setting of the hook." I can sum up genealogical work with one word, "addictive."
Former Police Officer. Mobile, Alabama.
Former Sheriff's Office 911 Operator. Gillespie County, Texas.
Beekeeper. Member East Texas Beekeeping Association.
Sons of the American Revolution, National #191935, Texas Society.
General Society of the War of 1812, National #7368, Texas Society.
1stSgt USMC Retired.
7th Great grandson of Thomas Vandermark.
4th Great grandson of Wilhelmus Vandermark. Lt, 4th Regiment Ulster County, New York Militia, American Revolution.
Thomas Jones Hardeman