The Tree Ward Explained

The surname Ward is derived from the Old English word, ward, meaning guard, guardship, or watchman.*  Somehow that has become my role:  the ward or caretaker of our family tree.

I was never very interested in history as a subject in school.  My grades were proof to that.  But, over the course of time, as I tended to my own family's needs, my interest in our ancestral roots grew.  Once I was able to place family members (such as my great-grandfather Frank Andersen, a Norwegian immigrant, or my Nana Richardson with Pilgrim roots) in historical context, things changed.  It's kind of like watching a Broadway play and personally knowing the star of the show.  There's perspective and clarity to history because it's our history.

Now, because of this interest, I have become the recipient of a plethora of family papers, photo albums, and other heirlooms.  By using this archive of stuff, it is my hope to bring these stars into focus in such a way that my children will remember those who came before them and to protect and guard the memory of their ancestors.

* The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

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