As if life is not challenging enough and I have spent months (not days and weeks) trying to create and upload my web page, I have decided to do a blog. There are plenty of genealogy blogs on Internet, but perhaps I can lend something a bit different.

The other evening I received a phone call from a middle school student living in a different town here in Nebraska. She was a typical student and needed to start and finish a report by morning for school. The assignment was to interview a professional genealogist. Curious as to how she located me, her response was that she Googled me. Knowing that my web page was still producing Not Found that day and evening, I was impressed that Google found me somewhere in cyberspace.

Her questions were interesting. Never did she ask how I got interested in genealogy or started researching. She asked about reports and research trips. One question was what I did not like about my job. I had to think about that one and came up empty headed. There isn't anything I do not like about genealogical research. How about you? I even like the negative results because I feel I have accomplished something to get to that point. Then I am eager to dig further for hopefully positive results.

When our conversation was complete, the student said "Wow." Then she explained that she is doing her family history for a 4-H project. Budding, beginning genealogists! We should ALL be aware of how we are inspiring them, what we are teaching them, even through snippets of a conversation.

I grew up genealogist. It seems from the time I was about nine years old I knew this was what I wanted to do (along with other things, such as going to school). Fortunately when I was a young woman I had a mentor. She allowed me to make my own decisions, whether right or wrong, but she also guided me along the way. When something produced negative results she didn't tell me what I should have done, but rather, nudged me into thinking on my own as to what I should do. Today there are so many resources available that were limited to us years ago. There are also people wanting to learn from age nine to ninety. Can we mentor somebody ... encourage them to make their own decisions and guide them in the right direction of good genealogical methods of research? Ruby Coleman --- Genealogy Works

Genealogy is my passion! I live in south central Nebraska along the Platte River where the wagons rolled on their way West. Now I can hear the drone of wheels on I-80 as those wagons in the form of cars and semis travel at an amazing speed compared to how our ancestors traveled. I can also hear the Union Pacific trains as they switch (by computer now!) and send their long cars snaking down tracks east and west. Our continent was indeed connected from east to west, forming and shaping the lives of our ancestors and influencing the lives of future generations.

I do professional research, specializing in Nebraska genealogy. In addition I enjoy writing, lecturing and teaching genealogy. Check out my biographical information page.

I hope you enjoy my blog. If there is something that helps you in your research, my mission has been accomplished. Enjoy!