About the Bloggers

Mary — My ancestors were “savers” and I am the “organizer.” My great-great grandfather arrived in the Iowa Territory in 1840 at the age of twelve. He traveled from Northern Ireland with his parents and five sisters. He left behind tax records and photos of his Herefords and Percherons. These documents were handed down from family member to family member and finally to me. The tax records arrived in large envelopes interspersed with newspaper articles and obits while the letters arrived neatly packed in a shoebox. On rainy days I sit at the dining room table and sort, alphabetize, arrange, and dream of what it must have been like to be a pioneer in Iowa.

Craig — I am blessed because I love the stories that make up history and I get paid to save them as part of my job. I try to save stories that are in danger of being lost. The stories of regular people as well as the famous. What was it like to be a student in 1920? In 1880? What was it like to be a teacher then? I also save things to pass my family history along to the next generation, most of our history was destroyed when a furnace blew up and the rest was on the curb waiting for the garbage man to pick up when an aunt saved it.

Jim — My father was an avid history reader.  At night around the dinner table the conversation was not only about the events of our day but also about history.  Our house had history books everywhere.  One day I asked myself,  “Where did my ancestors come from?” This search for my distant relatives made history very personal and it came alive.  I realized that my family lived history such as my great-great-great-grandfather who fought in the American Revolution.  I now preserve all I can for future generations.