I wasn’t always fascinated with history, and regret never asking my grandparents for their memories, stories, and wisdom. It’s unfortunate that the knowledge they possessed is no longer available for others to learn from.

I’ve been a lifelong resident of York County, Pennsylvania and spend most of my life in the Spring Grove area. While my father’s ancestors were some of the county’s earliest residents, my mother’s resided in West Virginia and several other southern states.

When my grandfather passed away in 1997 I began researching the history of my family, which is more of an addiction than a hobby. Some ancestral lines were difficult to crack, while others led me to the 1500s. Acknowledging my passion for history, my father entrusted me with my grandparent’s photograph collection, with some dating to the 1860s. One of my goals is to digitally preserve each image, while working to identify the people and places in the photos.

Social media has been an extremely valuable tool that I use while performing my research. It not only allows me the means to find information I’m seeking, but also gives me the opportunity to share what I’ve learned very quickly. You can learn more about the forms of social media I use by visiting the Contact Me page.

I’ve been married to Melissa since 1992, and together we have three beautiful daughters. You could say my family “tolerates” my obsession, but in the end, they’re always there when needed.

Activities and Accomplishments

• Former volunteer at the York County Heritage Trust
• Caretaker of Bott’s Burial Grounds, West Manchester Township
• Organized several cemetery preservation projects
• “Fostered” tombstones without a home or those who came from a cemetery undergoing preservation efforts
• President of a family reunion
• Documented and currently researching over 1,000 individuals who served at Camp Security, a Revolutionary War POW camp in Springettsbury Township
• Collector of historical York County memorabilia
• Amateur photographer