My Mother: Everyone always has a mother to thank and I am no different. Her not knowing the names of her father's parents started me on this mission. My mother took the time to write down the names and dates as much as she knew them. Just that became a great source of direction. When my mother became interested in the genealogy, she lived too far away from the DE archives to do much research herself. She may have hoped that after my children were raised, I would pursue this research. The journey she inspired is a great gift.
The archivist at the Wilmington Historical Library who thought I would be interested in the maps of Delaware showing family farms in 1868. These maps have been a great resource. The information has been invaluable in tracking deed transfers and finding the old family homes.
The Delaware Archives has been my most visited research facility in my research. The archivists have been efficient and prompt in answering e-mail requests. All the staff has been helpful and courteous, giving me direction to document the family connections.
Margaret at the DE Archives has been most helpful. started her work at the archives about the same time I started my research. When I first started using the Archives, the receptionist gave me an orientation. She told me that the research topic space was important to fill in on the registration form. This would enable the archivist to target my direction in the enormous collection of files. Margaret has done just that. I have been able to move the story of my family along by small suggestions Margaret would make to me just in passing. If she had discovered a type of record in her own private research, she would give me a brief outline of what the records contained for my future research. Sometimes there is not one item of interest, but most times, it had lead to a great find.
This working relationship of a patron of the Archives and an archivist who loves her work has been most beneficial. It has clearly made the researching fun and informative.
Doyle F. Wildasin is the author of the History and Genealogy of the Stonesifer Family of Maryland and Pennsylvania. His twelve-year research without the use of a computer was a monumental feat. How he kept all that information straight is a mystery to me. We are grateful for his research at a time when there was no Internet devoted to genealogy. Digging in the archives and walking the cemeteries are some of the best ways to gather information, however time consuming.
Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Joe Voshell for sharing many of the photographs you see on this site. Photos always make the stories come alive. I never imagined that so many of these family photos still existed until they arrived at a family reunion with this great stash of photos.
My Grandmother Addie Mae Penington Voshell took the time to write all the identifying information on the backs of these photos. Anyone with a box full of old photos knows just how valuable that little bit of writing on the back can be.
Frank Penington Voshell Jr. who gave me the family bible of Franklin J. and Geneva Wilson Penington and the diary of young Franklin J. Penington. These documents gave me the clues needed to continue the research on the Penington ancestors.
Harvey Davis, my significant other, helped me learn how to organize the information on the computer. His encouragement to write the stories and share the information is the reason this web site exists.
My brothers and cousins that have shown an interest in this family information is encouragement enough. After all it is their story . . .
Tom Voshell from NJ supplied the information on the William Voshell from Cordova, MD. Several people in his family collected information over the years. Ruth Estelle Voshell was one of them. She lived to be 100, was a schoolteacher, had the most beautiful hand writing, never married, and chronicled her family's births, marriages, and deaths for several generations. Tom can be reached at tvoshell@bellatlantic.net.
Robert J. Voshell from Milford DE supplied the Daniel Voshell information. His information helped clarify many questions that developed in sorting all the given names that are used over and over, making it close to impossible to distinguish one Daniel from another Daniel. He also supplied the photos for the John D. Voshell cemetery and some others from Barrett's Chapel. Robert can be reached at RJVJAV@aol.com.
My Grandchildren--after all they are the reason you collect the information in the first place.