DON

GREETINGS FROM THE LAND OF OZ !!
(Over The Rainbow--The Middle of Nowhere)

I was not raised on a ranch & never worked as a cowboy, however, I have always been inspired by the historic & romantic aspects of the "old west" & my cowboy ancestors. It is definitely in my blood & about 20 years ago, I purchased my little 8 acre spread in the flint hills of Kansas. I like to wear my stetson, levi's & boots to honor my father & his ancestors in Wyoming who were the "Real Deal".
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Our Father was born & raised on a ranch in Wyoming. (From cowboy to horse cavalry at Ft Riley KS/Career Army)
Our Mother was born & raised in a small town in northwest Arkansas (Briefly in WAACS at Ft Riley KS/Army Wife)
My brother & I are "army brats" who were raised on various Army posts in Kansas, Missouri, Alaska, Kentucky, Arkansas & back to Kansas when Dad retired from the Army.

OUR ANCESTRY:
SCOTTISH, ENGLISH, SCOTS-IRISH, WELSH, IRISH
A touch of HUGUENOT & possibly DUTCH in some ancient connections as well as a hint of CHEROKEE
Also, a wee bit of OWLHOOT & a whole bunch of JACKASS !!
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I have been interested in genealogy & the research of my own personal family history for many years. I also enjoy locating & visiting ancestral home sites & cemeteries throughout various areas of our country. Sometimes, I feel compelled to write and/or publish articles concerning our ancestors who endured the hardships and turmoil of many years ago. I don't pretend to be a creative writer who garnishes his material with flowery fiction. I am not a poet, philosopher or an intellectual who creates inspirational material promoting spiritual growth to help find one's "Inner Self". I will leave that to the many talented individuals who are so gifted. I am also not a spinner of mythical "Tall Tales" or mystical fantasy land "Fairy Tales"--I merely chronicle the lives of my ancestors based on legitimate facts & traditions relating to them.I think everyone should try to "get to know" their ancestors. Even though they have long since passed away, they can still be very inspirational. Most of our ancestors were good, decent people but perhaps far from perfect. Hopefully we can learn from them & try to appreciate their sacrifices & struggles which can help us all gain a better understanding of our own virtues & shortcomings as we do our part to help improve society for the future. Not caring about our heritage is like not caring about ourselves. I maintain another web site with more detailed information relating to both my paternal & maternal ancestors.

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This is some long haired, hard drinking character called "Big Don" back during the "Dark Ages" of many centuries ago!!
(I don't think I want to meet him again!)
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STILLS I MADE FROM VARIOUS CRUISES