My Wall of Thanks
I wanted to include a section on my web page where I can thank all of those who have gone out of their way to help me over the past 20+ years with my genealogy endeavors.
Most importantly, I must say a big "thank you" to Charles & LaRayne Green of Sacramento, California. LaRayne worked at the junior high school I was attending when I took my first trip out to the Sacramento Family History Center. She also happened to be a volunteer there and was, truly, my mentor while beginning my research. She was always available to help me with advice, research techniques, and a ride out to the library (every Friday night for nearly 2 years). I owe a great debt of gratitude to the Green's - I could never repay them for all of their kindness to me.
Another big "thank you" must go to my wife, Kathleen. She has gone with me on numerous trips to cemeteries up and down California, while I was looking for dead relatives. One of our first "dates" was a picnic to the Tulocay Cemetery in Napa, California, where I "introduced" her to all of my VanBaaren relatives buried in the family plot. I think I introduced her to them before a lot of my living relatives! She has also gone with me on a few trips to Salt Lake City and has patiently listened to me as I would come bursting out of the computer room to announce a new find, or come home from the library excited by a new discovery there. She is my very best friend in the whole world, and I owe her a great debt of gratitude for all of her love and support.
My third "big thanks" goes to my mom, Florence (Marston) VanBaaren. She encouraged me with my research as a teenager and spent many Friday nights picking me up from the library. She also listened patiently (and paid attention!) to my many stories of discovery and made sure I was able to take my first trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, when I was 18 years old. Mom passed away in October 2007 and I miss her dearly.
My fourth "big thanks" goes to my maternal grandfather, Charles Marston. He shared my interest in history, and family history in particular. The very first time I asked questions about his ancestors, he rattled off names dating back as far as the American Revolution! He was a tremendous help to me, and his side of the family is where I had all of my first big successes. His aunt, Lavinia Marston, had been an avid genealogist for decades, and I think he was happy that I picked up on her passion for the family history. Unfortunately, her research has never been located, but my grandfather gave me a great start and enabled me to follow most of his ancestral lines back to their colonial settlement in America and then back to Europe.
My fifth "big thanks" goes to my grand-aunt, Rachel Annette (Johnson) (Bryant) Leal. Since I was only 7 years old when my grandmother passed away, Aunti- Nett was like a second grandma to me. She shared many stories of her growing up years in the Johnson household, which gave me great insight into how very close this family was. She reminisced about many childhood adventures that she and my grandma and other grand-aunts and uncles shared. She also gave me my deep pride in our Norwegian heritage and traditions, which I have tried to keep alive. I can't make it through the Christmas holidays without baking several different Norwegian cookies, and I'm a proud member of the Sons of Norway. I enjoyed several years of taking my mom to the various festivals in our area, sampling good Norwegian food and learning more about our culture.
My sixth, and final "big thanks" goes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for generously opening their vast holdings of genealogical information to me and all other researchers. They are the largest proponents of genealogical research in the world, and I would never have been as successful as I have been if it were not for them and their many volunteers.
Here are the individuals I wish to thank for all of their help over the years:
Elaine Dunwoody Alvarez
Margaret Whitcomb Baird
Jeannette Woodworth Behan
Arie Bos
Natalie Boucher
Clara Bruton
Evelyn Tolley Buckingham
Kathy Butcher
Lillian Carter
Ken Cobler
Chris Dierks
Elmer Duell
Beth Enright
W. Keith Fisher
Mary Higgins
Nancy Janney
Gunnar Jonsson
Rik Kaspersen
Stephen Lawson
Dennis Lewallen
Jeannie Lewis
Nancy Lohbrunner
Doris Marston
Dave Martin
Marsha McWilliams
Betty Jo Mickle
John E. Mitchell
Harry Nales
Per Nermo
Pim Nieuwenhuis
Aaron Orr
Kathleen Pantano
Patrick Pearsey
Rolla Percival
Nancy Pexa
William H. Roll
Randi Rostrup
Roald Sirevaag
Mary Stewart
Al Thompson
Helen Turner
Frans van Baaren
Peter van Niekerken
Edward Watts
Robert Weller
Carolyn Winntrup
Florence Zanardi
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