Thank You from the Sr. Director of Ancestry World Archives Project
As those of us in the U.S. celebrate Memorial Day and remember our loved ones this weekend let us also celebrate their lives, the hopes and dreams that many of our ancestors had and show gratitude to them for the characteristics and passions they passed onto us that make us who we are today.
My family usually spends the memorial weekend decorating graves and for years my mother has often told us stories about her life with these people. As a child I didn’t appreciate these moments as much as I do now especially as my mother’s memories are a bit clouded. Each story and memory is a treasure and I have often found myself aligning with individual ancestors that I wanted to emulate.
As I read your comments on the blog, the message boards and have had the opportunity to talk to a few of you directly, I know your biggest desire is to give back to others & connect with your families. I feel your unspoken and sometimes spoken expressions of gratitude for ancestors who have paved the way for you.
Over the last week we have over 2K new contributors who have caught the same vision and to you we extend a heartfelt WELCOME! Come join a fabulous team of nearly 16,000 dedicated and energized contributors that expand to over 68 different countries. In the last 11 months this group has keyed over 11M records which will be free to everyone.
We have published to the Ancestry.com site two of the collections (Wisconsin Mortality Records & Alabama State Census 1820-1866) with three more coming in the next couple of months.
As the Sr. Director for the Ancestry.com World Archives Project I want to extend my enthusiasm and gratitude to each of you for the hours and dedication to helping connect families across distance and time!
Happy Memorial Day!
“Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we have ever known.” — President Ronald Reagan
I am grateful to have the opportunity to help preserve historical records that will help many find evidence of their families in the past. Thanks again for allowing me to be a part of such an important project.