I Am A Child of God

A brief History of my Genealogy Work^©

This web page updated 12 January 1998

I started doing Genealogy in 1960. I had a class in doing it from the Mormon Church while I was finishing up my tour of duty in the army at Fort Devons Massachusetts. I was then stationed right where most of my Anceatry came from but did not know it at the time. I got out of the Service on June 13 1960, and went home to Pleasant Ridge, Oakland County, Michigan. I soon got my mother interested also and she did most of the corresponcence at that time and I found the Burton Historical collection at the Detroit Public Library was a great source for genealogy research. I went to Brigham Young University that fall and was able to do a little research at the Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City but still most of the work at this time was done by my parents contacting relatives.

In 1962 I ran out of funds and had to quit my schooling for a while and did more research at the Detroit Library I had a lot of information that I compiled and put together that Mother and Dad had collected but did not know how some of it fit in.

This is when I found out that one of my aunts sisters worked for the state in the department of health and she got me all of the birth, death, and marriage certificates that I wanted at no cost, as she was also interested in finding them for her self.

In 1964 I started going back to school and graduated from RETS Electronics school with an AA degree in Electronics Technology, in 1966. Also in this year I married Susan HANCOCK. She and I belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we were married in the Temple in Cardston Alberta Canada. Most of her relatives that were also members of the Church were in Alberta Susan having been born in Lethbridge, Alberta, as well as her mother. The Alberta Canada being about the same distence from Detroit as the Salt Lake Temple we opted to be married in Canada.

At this time my geneology work reversed itself and instead of searching for Ancesters We made descendants 5 of them. Two daughters and three sons in that order.

In 1973 I started a furniture stripping, repair and refinishing business, and it took most of my time. I did not fully take care of my family responsibilities and other problems came up and Susan and I were divorced in 1980. She got an opertunity for a job in Utah and I let her go so she went to Utah in the summer of 1980. After the sale of our business I went out to Utah in August of 1981 was reunited with my children and I got a job in December as manager of a Furniture stripping business in Salt Lake City, and Susan and the Children lived in Orem Utah. Now living in Salt Lake City I went to the Genealogy Library as often as I could. I started doing research for others at this time to bring in some extra income then in September of 1982 I was sick a lot and went to see the doctor and he told me that the toxin level in my blood was very high and asked me what I did for a living. I told him about my job and he told me to quit or I would probably die in about a year. I followed his instructions and quit my Job living on what work I could find doing Professional Genealogy and the money I received for the sale of my business back in Michigan. I went to school at the University Of Utah, and took Genealogy cources at the Brigham Young University Salt Lake Center. At this time I lived 1 and a half blocks from the Genealogy Library and was there when I was not in class. Some times as much as 10 hours a day, especially on Saturday. Sometimes I got to the Library when it opened at 7:30 AM and did not leave untill it closed at 10:00 PM and then spending another 3 or 4 hours at my apartment putting together what I had found. At the Library I spent 2 or 3 hours a day inputing my information into the computer as at that time they had two computers the public could use and I used the time to the max as I saw how important computers could be in organizing genealogy the program was PAF version 1.0

Also at this time I started the research for the books mentioned below.

I found many many cousins during this time in 1986 I got married to Agnes Willardson, and we moved to Washington. I got a computer of my own and still did a little genealogy work but again it slowed down.

We were seperated in 1991 and my son Steve moved up to Washington. He helped me with my computer and other things we worked well together then My divorce to Agnes Was final on 1 February 1993. Steve had gotten a good opertunity in 1992 and moved back down to Utah. I followed him in 1993. Again doing some Genealogy Research and working as a Certified Nurses Aide. Steve and I again lived together. Then in September of 1995 I was asked to come back up to Washington as there was something wrong with mother and Dad needed my help with her. I put my things in storage in Utah and moved back with my parents. My mother had lost the functioning of her Thyroid and now has Hyopthyroid demesia and Dad has just been diagnosed with Alzhemiers, so I have my work cut out for me. Last June I was diagonsed with Parkinsons, and am now on SSI so I again have much time to engage in genealogy and I got on the Internet in September of 1997 and now have this web page and am working on finding as many relatives to share my research with as possible. In 1998 I was transfered from SSI to SSA and found out that the Parkensons was not the disease but was caused by my cronic exposure to the furniture stripping chemicals. Also at this time I switched from PAF to Family Origins as a Genealogy data base.

I am currently writting 2 Books and researching 1 other. I am writting the Descendants or Robert M^cCOOK and The Descendants of George SHEFFER. I am researching the descendants of William Andrus WOOD. I have added all of the information I currently have on the first two items above. If any one finds they more I would welcome it.

The above have been published on my website as well as that of descendancies of several more of my ancesters. My father died of cancer in January of 2000 and after the funeral and their estate was taken care of and my sister taking the responsibility of the Mother I descided to move back down to Utah to be closer to my children and grandchildren as well as to be able to do more research at the LDS Library in Salt Lake City and at BYU.
Robin Forrest.

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