This week, I came across a post from the Hershey History Center in celebration of Preservation Week. They’re encouraging us to protect our history—not just through museums and monuments, but through small, everyday acts like storing photos in cool, dry, and UV-free spaces, and carefully labeling them so future generations can identify the faces and stories that make up their past.
As someone who’s passionate about family history, this message speaks directly to my heart.
I’ve spent countless hours researching our family tree—collecting names, birth and death dates, marriage records, immigration documents, and treasured photos. For me, genealogy isn’t just a hobby. It’s a way of honoring the people who came before us and recognizing how their lives shaped the ones we live today. What's that proverb? Respect your ancestors, for you are the result of a thousand loves. I love that!
Between my lineage and my husband’s, our children carry with them a heritage rich in adventure and resilience. From ancestors in Germany, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and colonial America—including some who arrived on the Mayflower—to roots in Italy, Denmark, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Dutch Caribbean Islands, our family story is woven from many threads. Each thread tells a tale—some already discovered, many still waiting to be unraveled.
And where has all of that history brought us? Right here, to good old Hershey, Pennsylvania. A town filled with charm, chocolate, and community—and the perfect place for building a new legacy. Whether it’s hopping on a food tour through town, watching our kids grow and thrive, or simply taking time to appreciate the world around us, we’re creating stories of our own that will one day become part of the bigger picture.
As Carl Sagan, American astronomer, author, and advocate for the importance of preserving life on Earth, once said,
“You have to know the past to understand the present.”
I believe it. And I hope that by preserving the past, we help pave the way for future generations—not just to remember where they came from, but to feel rooted, inspired, and ready to take on adventures of their own.
Picture of one of the branches of my family tree. My great-grandparents are seated second and third from the left-hand side. My grandmother is the baby in her lap.
