I chose to interview my aunt that is the most involved with tracing our family history. Her name is Shirley Andrus.
Broznann: Where are you from?
Shirley: I was born in Aurora and grew up in SW Missouri but lived in St. Louis for 30 years while I was teaching.
Broznann: You said you were a teacher. What did you teach and what do you do now?
Shirley: I taught 5th grade. I am retired but still work several weeks a year as a missionary. I really enjoy it because I get to travel and see things that most people do not get to see. I have been to over 50 countries.
Broznann: Have any of your trips taken you to places where our ancestors are from?
Shirley: Yes, I have been to England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Poland, and Germany more than once.
Broznann: Have you ever tried to locate any relatives that might still be living in another country?
Shirley: No, our family has been here for so many generations that it would be impossible to find any of them.
Broznann: How did you learn about our family history?
Shirley: I have always been interested in American History. When I taught 5th grade it was my favorite subject. I used to travel every summer to visit some historical sites. That expanded into family history and now my family gets together every year at our family reunion to talk about it.
Broznann: Do you have any idea why our ancestors came to America?
Shirley: I have heard a variety of things. Since most of our family has been here for many, many generations, they probably came for the promise of land and more freedom.
Broznann: Has immigration affected our family at all?
Shirley: Yes, it has since we would still be in Europe if our family had not immigrated. They settled in areas up and down the east coast but gradually moved west. Most of them seemed to travel south through Tennessee and Kentucky before moving to Missouri. We have several ancestors that were born or lived around Sevier County, Tennessee. That is on the eastern edge of Tennessee near the Appalachian Mountains. Most of them settled in Missouri in the late 1800's or early 1900's.
Broznann: Do you know when our family came to America?
Shirley: It varies. The most recent was your great, great, grandfather William Henry Gibbs who came from England in the 1890's. We also have some ancestors that date back to arriving in America in the early to mid 1600's, many generations ago.
Broznann: Where are you from?
Shirley: I was born in Aurora and grew up in SW Missouri but lived in St. Louis for 30 years while I was teaching.
Broznann: You said you were a teacher. What did you teach and what do you do now?
Shirley: I taught 5th grade. I am retired but still work several weeks a year as a missionary. I really enjoy it because I get to travel and see things that most people do not get to see. I have been to over 50 countries.
Broznann: Have any of your trips taken you to places where our ancestors are from?
Shirley: Yes, I have been to England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Poland, and Germany more than once.
Broznann: Have you ever tried to locate any relatives that might still be living in another country?
Shirley: No, our family has been here for so many generations that it would be impossible to find any of them.
Broznann: How did you learn about our family history?
Shirley: I have always been interested in American History. When I taught 5th grade it was my favorite subject. I used to travel every summer to visit some historical sites. That expanded into family history and now my family gets together every year at our family reunion to talk about it.
Broznann: Do you have any idea why our ancestors came to America?
Shirley: I have heard a variety of things. Since most of our family has been here for many, many generations, they probably came for the promise of land and more freedom.
Broznann: Has immigration affected our family at all?
Shirley: Yes, it has since we would still be in Europe if our family had not immigrated. They settled in areas up and down the east coast but gradually moved west. Most of them seemed to travel south through Tennessee and Kentucky before moving to Missouri. We have several ancestors that were born or lived around Sevier County, Tennessee. That is on the eastern edge of Tennessee near the Appalachian Mountains. Most of them settled in Missouri in the late 1800's or early 1900's.
Broznann: Do you know when our family came to America?
Shirley: It varies. The most recent was your great, great, grandfather William Henry Gibbs who came from England in the 1890's. We also have some ancestors that date back to arriving in America in the early to mid 1600's, many generations ago.