By Peg Kelly
I first became interested in Family History in 1973, when my paternal grandmother passed away. I learned that she was the 8th of 16 children. Though I knew her younger brothers, I realized that I really didn’t know much about her parents or older siblings. So. the quest began.
Records in the early and mid 1970s were not as readily accessible as they are now. Looking for records often involved going to Regional Archives or to State and County buildings. They were great sources of information, but certainly required planning, to maximize your time.
By the early to mid 1980s I became aware of the Family History Centers throughout the US, and began to access records through these centers. They were a great help. In 1989 I moved from the S.F. Bay area to Portland. It was while I was living in Portland, that I started volunteering at the local FHC. It was there that an incident occurred that would open doors to a whole set of ancestors that were previously unknown to me.
I was helping a patron entering family history information on one of our computers (no doubt ancient by today’s standards). In the background I heard one patron talking to another about Boone County. I knew there were multiple states with Bone Counties, so when I was done with my patron, and she was done, I ask what Boone County she was talking about. I should backtrack here to mention that my great-grandfather, Francis M Kelly, was born in Boone County, Missouri. His parents were William D. Kelly and Elizabeth Riggs.She stated that she had been talking about Boone County, Missouri and the names she was working on were Kelly and Riggs. My Kelly and Riggs lines. She opened up 7 new Riggs ancestors for me, and with their spouses, 14 new names altogether. Those lines spanned from 1630 Massachusetts to 1819 Kentucky/Missouri.
There was certainly a reason for me being there that day and time. It’s funny how the spirit of God works sometimes. We need to make sure to take time to listen to those prompting. It wasn’t long after this that I asked the janitor to refer me to the Missionaries. I was baptized in May 1991.
Penny Creek Ward Friends 