my grandmother

My grandmother was born in a small French village, Graffigny-Chemin. The village is located east of Paris in the ancient province of Lorraine. Today the province is renamed Haut-Marne. The village is close to the larger French town of Verdun and west of Germany and south of Belgium.

My grandmother's maiden name was Marguerite Chevallier Meine. Her mother was Laura Chevallier. Her father was William Meine. William was a German businessman from Freiburg, Germany. Laura Chevallier was born and raised in Graffigny where she married my great grandfather and raised my grandmother and her sister. My great grandfather William died before World War I.

My great grandmother Laura is the lady in the picture to the left of her house. The photograph came from my cousin George Campbell.

There are many stories of my grandmother, but the one I love the best is how she met my grandfather James Madison Pearson. He was a young lieutenant who along with over a million other American soldiers arrived in France in 1917 to fight Germany during the First World War. The story goes that he was wounded in France and sent to a hospital in Graffigny where he met my grandmother. She nursed him back to health and as so often happens, they fell in love, married and came back to the United States.

geneology

Get started, discover your ancestry, and create your first family tree.

Visit About.com, How to create a family tree.

1. Start with yourself. It may seem silly since you already know who you are, but you should always start your family history search by documenting your own life. Gather information about your birth, education, sports activities and interests, etc. A few photos and souvenirs will highlight what is important to you. Your children will really appreciate you some day!

2. Next, do the same for your parents and grandparents. Scour your house for photographs, records, letters and journals, family Bibles, and even baby books. Sit down and talk to your parents and grandparents and ask questions. Everyone has a story waiting to be told. Be mindful that sometimes stories are painful or sad. A parent or grandparent may be reluctant to discuss part or all of the family history. In this case it may be best to ask about a particular photograph or record that deals with a sensitive issue. Or, simply ask a different family member. Have patience.

Good luck.