New Adventures


Many people made major life altering decisions during and because of the pandemic.  I am no different! 

The great blessing about doing genealogy during the pandemic and writing “Where Our Roots Rest” volumes I and II, is cemeteries are virus free!  I spent many days during the pandemic walking the cemeteries in Wyoming and Utah.  I also spent many isolated days writing.  A couple of months after the first lock down on one of my drives home from Kemmerer and Rock Springs, I began to ponder what it would look like to move closer to where I research.  As I drove along the Wyoming highway, my mind wandered and contemplated the idea of moving.  Throughout the next few weeks, this idea was percolating in my thoughts. 

After almost a year, I decided to move forward with the idea, and began packing up my house for my new and exciting research adventure.



I sold my house in Utah and put my belongings in storage while I searched for a home.  Closing was very slow process in Wyoming because of the high volume of home sales, so I was able to travel and work on more genealogy in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Arizona.  I began writing “Where Our Roots Rest, Volume III” by photographing and mapping graves in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.  I visited cemeteries of distant relatives throughout northern Utah, in the small towns where they lived and died.  In Nevada, I found a cemetery right off the freeway I have driven past many times, never knowing a relative is buried there.  In Arizona, I visited probably the largest cemetery I had ever been to in my career.  It was huge and majestic palm trees line the cemetery streets. 

I visited a distant cousin in Colorado and spent a couple lovely days learning about her, her family, and going through many photographs, which she kindly gave me.  It was a wonderful visit and we were instantly friends.  On the way to Colorado and on the way back, I was able to stop at the Wyoming State Archives.  My first day, I requested an item that I was able to view on the way back through town.  I did not have enough research to justify a trip to Cheyenne, however, passing through worked out perfectly for the couple of needed items at the archive.  It also reminded me of the lovely research trips I used to take with my father to the archives.  My first weeks in Rock Springs, I met random people who are able to help me with my research and I made connections with others who will be able to help me.    


After seeing my new home, I decided to do some remodeling, painting, and new flooring.  Which was probably a good thing since two things happened:  the first was it took 3 weeks to get internet so researching from home would be difficult and secondly, there was a surge in Covid-19 cases in Rock Springs, so once again, it was safer to be home and isolated.  I painted, repaired, and fixed up my new home.  Five months after I moved out of my Utah home, I moved most of my stuff into my new home in Wyoming.  Of course, unpacking and setting up my home has taken longer than I expected, but I now have a new and lovely research office in Rock Springs, Wyoming!  Some days, as I drive through town, my thrilled heart screams, “I live here, I live here!” 

I have had wonderful children who have helped with packing, unpacking, remodeling, painting, driving, and letting me stay at their homes for months on end.  I am very grateful and blessed to have this opportunity to be where my records are located.  I am excited to continue my research in original depositories without traveling.  I am humbled by the support of my Roberts Roots & Branches family.

This week has been a week of beginning to jump back into my research.  I am trying to get caught up on my paperwork, business items, and new releases I have missed—like the 1950 census!!!

I have some exciting events planned, so stay tuned here on this blog and the RR&B Facebook page for upcoming announcements.   

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