I have been conducting genealogical research on my family for nearly 20 years, and have become a passionate explorer of my family's past and history. I started out with just a few stories from my parents about the origins of our family...one side being of Polish/Slovak origin, and the other being German/Pennsylvania Dutch. My research has led me back into Slovakia into the 1600's to discover family who lived in a small mountain village of Relov. I had never thought to discover so much about my mother's family. My research into my father's side of the family has taken me equally far back into the early 1600's. While my father always thought his paternal line was German, and their origins are German, he never knew that his Wiener line comes from South Bohemia in the mountainous region along the border of Germany and what is now known as the Czech Republic. There the Wieners have lived, farmed, and raised their families for centuries. My father knew his mother was "maybe Swiss" but surely "Pennsylvania Dutch." He never knew that her line was deeply rooted in this country and its early years. He never suspected that his ancestors were early settlers of this country who helped to solidify this country's independence and that so many fought for it in the Revolutionary War. A great sadness it is that he did not live long enough to learn about his illustrious ancestors.

This journey has led me to understand the reasons my ancestors came to America in the 1700's, the devastation of their homelands, the persecution they faced, and the role the Reformation played in their past. The pursuit of genealogy is more than just collecting names and dates, but it leads to an understanding of what our ancestors lives were about, what trials they faced, and what mattered to them. This journey has helped me to discover these things about my ancestors. My explorations have led me to find many facts, many ancestors and many cousins. And through this work, connect with the world on a larger scale.

I salute the people who have done so much good work on this website so that others may make connections with their kin. While most of my research has been conducted through other sources, I see this as a valuable venue to celebrate our ancestors and kin, and give them a lasting place of memorial.

I have been conducting genealogical research on my family for nearly 20 years, and have become a passionate explorer of my family's past and history. I started out with just a few stories from my parents about the origins of our family...one side being of Polish/Slovak origin, and the other being German/Pennsylvania Dutch. My research has led me back into Slovakia into the 1600's to discover family who lived in a small mountain village of Relov. I had never thought to discover so much about my mother's family. My research into my father's side of the family has taken me equally far back into the early 1600's. While my father always thought his paternal line was German, and their origins are German, he never knew that his Wiener line comes from South Bohemia in the mountainous region along the border of Germany and what is now known as the Czech Republic. There the Wieners have lived, farmed, and raised their families for centuries. My father knew his mother was "maybe Swiss" but surely "Pennsylvania Dutch." He never knew that her line was deeply rooted in this country and its early years. He never suspected that his ancestors were early settlers of this country who helped to solidify this country's independence and that so many fought for it in the Revolutionary War. A great sadness it is that he did not live long enough to learn about his illustrious ancestors.

This journey has led me to understand the reasons my ancestors came to America in the 1700's, the devastation of their homelands, the persecution they faced, and the role the Reformation played in their past. The pursuit of genealogy is more than just collecting names and dates, but it leads to an understanding of what our ancestors lives were about, what trials they faced, and what mattered to them. This journey has helped me to discover these things about my ancestors. My explorations have led me to find many facts, many ancestors and many cousins. And through this work, connect with the world on a larger scale.

I salute the people who have done so much good work on this website so that others may make connections with their kin. While most of my research has been conducted through other sources, I see this as a valuable venue to celebrate our ancestors and kin, and give them a lasting place of memorial.