Featured Articles

BALLOON FIESTA INTERVIEW
with Dick Brown, Albuquerque, NM, March 2017: "If you've ever had a burning question about Balloon Fiesta history, chances are Dick Brown has the answer or knows where to find it."

ARCHIVES
Follow this link for a list of previous articles.
For more stories, click on the Media menu then check out Histories

Around the Website

GUESTBOOK
Thank you for visiting our family website, Old Roots, New Branches! We hope you enjoyed exploring and will enter your comments here

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Some stories of the given names and surnames in our family. Interesting information on the origin, meaning and distribution around the world.

SITE PROGRESS & UPDATES
It is natural to look up your own family and hope to see your own story, complete, updated and edited! Our apologies in advance for missing or incorrect data. We still have many details to add and many more documents and old photos to digitize. Many of our electronic files prepared on older platforms need review. It is surely a work in progress. Meanwhile, please, if something jumps out at you (I am sure we are missing correct modern data for many children and grandchildren), let us know and we will fix as fast as we can! As we add new material, update, correct and enhance existing data, changes and improvements can be viewed at: "What's New".

News and Announcements

TODAY'S WORLD
For previous notices, click here.

March 5, 2022 [Lyman]: Congratulations! Lori (Van Vliet) Benton received her official membership acceptance in the White Mountain Four Thousand Footer, New England Four Thousand Footer and New England Hundred Highest Club from the Appalachian Mountain Club, Exeter, New Hampshire. On Columbus Day weekend (10/10 & 10/11, 2021) Lori and her friend, Jen McGibney had finished up the NEHH, #99 Boundary Peak and #100 Snow Cupsuptic on the Maine/Canada border.

July 6, 2021 [Thompson]: Joyful news! Noah Ryan Keller was born this day in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina weighing in at 7 lbs., 9 oz. Welcoming him to their family were his parents, Mike and Shelby (Owens) Keller, sister Ava and brother Luke and many happy relatives.

May 2021 [Brown]: Dick Brown and his fellow editors recently received the Lansing B. Bloom Award for Timelines of the East Mountains, recognizing an outstanding publication in New Mexico or Southwest Borderlands history by an institution affiliated with the Historical Society of New Mexico. Published last year, the book provides history and culture of the East Mountain area, east of Albuquerque.

February 7, 2021 [Bailey]: It is with deep sadness and heartache that we write that our beloved Jim passed away peacefully at the age of 79 in Matthews, North Carolina. James W. 'Jim' Bailey, born in Norfolk, Virginia, lived a full, interesting and adventerous life. He loved music, nature, books and his extended family. We are left to lovingly remember his peaceful manner and generous heart.

On January 6, 2021, a mob of some 2,500 supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. They sought to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election by disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The violent insurrection was a devastating attack on our democracy; an event terrible to witness, one that will reverberate with incriminations, legal actions and protests in the months to come.

CREDITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Thank you to all the people listed here
who have helped us build the body of
research that created this site.

Common Threads

CREATIVE ARTS
We focus here on those with a talent for painting, drawing, design or photography as well as all the supporters of the arts.

THE WRITERS
Several members of our family have put pen to paper to express themselves and to describe their world.

MUSIC, DANCE & THEATER
This area focuses on those who have been involved in music and the performing arts - from vaudeville to blues festivals.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Stories and images of our adventurous spirit and love of nature - sailing, camping, hiking, skating, scuba diving and more.

QUIET PURSUITS
Many of us have found calm pleasure reading, gardening, organizing collections, walking the beach and meditating.

LOVE of COUNTRY
Here we honor the men and women who served in the armed forces from the 18th century to peacekeeping in modern times.

EARNING THEIR KEEP
A glimpse at the wide variety of trades and professions of our family over the years.

COMMUNITY
Many of our family have donated time and energy to give back to their neighborhoods. Here we shine the light on the volunteers.