About Lisa / Smallest Leaf

I'm Lisa (sometimes known as Smallest Leaf).

I began writing several blogs about various branches of my family tree in 2007. This was certainly not the beginning of my interest in genealogy, however. I've been researching my family's story for more than a quarter of a century. You can read a little background at: Why Do I Trace My Family Tree?

I initially began blogging to share with my extended family what I had learned. (See The Gift of the Photograph: Uniting Families With Their History for the full story.) Instead, I found that my readers often included many others: those with a connection to the places, cultures and other subjects that I write about. My hope is that as I continue to write I will help to encourage others, particularly young people, to gain a better understanding and appreciation of their own place in history.

Why do I call this blog A Light That Shines Again?

This blog tells the story of my famine emigrant ancestors who left Ireland during the most trying time in modern Irish history.

The title "A Light That Shines Again" was inspired by these words:

“…Nor less should we forget the worthy sons And daughters who through centuries lived and died Unknown to fame. The muse of history shuns Their buried records. Gathered side by side In yonder burial ground, they leave no signs Save in half-obliterated lines That tell their birth, their death. Yet not in vain, Fathers and mothers, were your humble lives; Each in its turn an influence that survives, A light that shines again In sacred memories, and in hearths and homes, Vital as greater names that gild historic tomes…” ~ Christopher Pearce Cranch, read at the 250th anniversary of the first church in Quincy, Massachusetts

Where else can you find me on the web?

My other blogs focus on my Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Irish railroading and coal-mining ancestors (Small-leaved Shamrock) and my Hungarian/Croatian side of the family who passed through Ellis Island to make their homes in New York and beyond (100 Years in America). I am also a regular contributor to The Catholic Gene.

If you'd like to catch up with me on email, social networking sites, or elsewhere on the web, visit smallestleaf.com.

I choose not to write too much about myself on my various family history blogs. The preservation of the stories of my family's deeper history are usually my focus. However, you can learn a little more about me at The view from my corner of the world.

You might also enjoy reading the Geneabloggers' article: May I Introduce You to Smallest Leaf.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments, so please write!

Lisa / Smallest Leaf