My dear family members and friends,

As far back as I can remember, I was always interested in my family history.  As
a child I was very curious about those who had come before us, and no one seemed
too interested in answering my questions.  I remember going to Balzer Family
reunions and being utterly amazed that somehow, I was related to ALL those
people.  When my family moved from Ohio to California in 1963 those familes ties
were broken and I never heard much more about them again.

Then in 1979, as a result of family gatherings, some relatives took time,
energy, and love, to create a photocopied booklet called "Statistical Data
Pertaining to the Posterity of Schaefer, Balzer, and Hoss Families."  My father
was sent a copy of this book.

Sometime after the death of my mother in 2000, my father mailed me a package. 
In it were old family photographs - unfortunately with no one being identified,
and his copy of THE book.

Since then, I have asked living relatives for more information.  Only
recently have I taken the time to create a family tree and to connect with
others on their journey into their past to see where our families may be joined
together.  2006 is the beginning of my journey into my past.  Sometime in Feb of
2007 will be the birth of my first grandchild.  Hopefully the first of many my
four children will produce for Beth and me!  Guess what?  Noah Nathan Lee Shirey
waited until March 8, 2007 to make his grand appearance!  He is a strapping 9
pound 8 ounce, 23 inches long, BEAUTIFUL baby boy.  Even after 30 hours of
intense, unmedicated labour, Rebekah remains our beautiful baby.  Please pray
with us as we adjust and as Noah grows into a man of God.  It is my desire to
leave to each of our grandchildren a rich Spiritual heritage as well as a
documented, complete, family tree so that they may 'know' of those who have
walked this Earth before them, preparing the way for their future.  I hope I
don't drive my family crazy in the process.  They don't fully understand this
drive that I have.  The following 'story' that I found in someone else's tree
describes quite profoundly why I feel the way I do, and so I share it with you
now for your enjoyment.


                    THE STORY TELLERS... (Unknown Author)

We are the chosen. My feelings are that in each family there is one who seems 
called to find the ancestors; to put flesh on their bones and make them live 
again; to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and 
approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts, but instead, 
breathing life into all who have gone before.

We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been 
called, as it were, by our genes.

Those who have gone before cry out to us... Tell our story. So we do. In 
finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before 
now? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a 
wonderful family? You would be proud of us. How many times have I walked up to 
a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say.

I go beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the 
things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds 
and indifference and saying I can't let this happen.

The bones here are bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing 
something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to 
accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting 
their hardships and losses, their never giving up, their resoluteness to go on 
and build a life for their family.

It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It goes 
to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us that we 
might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and 
caring and scribing each fact of their existence because we are them and they 
are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to 
that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place 
in the long line of family story tellers.

That is why I do my family genealogy and that is what calls those young and 
old to step up and put flesh on their bones.