What is a Blog?

Hello Blog World,

I'm new at this, but I thought I'd better join the Twenty-First Century and learn to blog. It seems like a somewhat narcissistic endeavor, but I will try to make this about others in the past, and not just about me. This blog is devoted to genealogy.

My name is Tess and I am a Geneaholic. I have to research every day or start withdrawal symptoms. I research all my lines, all my husband's lines, and some friends' lines. I volunteer to help others with their lines. This has been an almost 30 year obsession.

This weekend I have probably put in about 25-30 hours on the computer. It has been an exciting day! I made some discoveries to prove back another generation on my paternal grandmother's line:

Frances "Fanny" HESS was born about 1800 in Rockingham County,VA. She married in 1830 to George William JORDAN and had five known children. On her marriage certificate it lists her father as Philip HESS. I just received a copy of her marriage bond this weekend. That was exciting.

I found some other things about Fanny, but then today I found an abstract of Philip HESS's Will:

Hess, Philip ___13, 1850
My two daughters Fanny Gordon and Betsy Minigh. To my wife. My son John Hess. Witnesses. T. H. Erwine. John Fleming. Jacob Simmers. Proved Aug 1850

The will is taken from "Virginia Valley Records," by John W. Wayland (1930), Rockingham Wills, Abstracts of burnt records, p. 412.

Then I found him on the 1820 and 1830 Censuses. Philip, you are found! You are not forgotten. I have proven you exist and now your memory will live on.

Tess