This saying inspires me! It makes me want to be a better person–live from my heart and share from my heart. What more could I ever wish for but that something I write or share will touch or help heal another soul.
Oh you see, this writing is all bound up in my own heart and soul. I was a psychologist professionally–a person who longed to help heal and to heal in my own journey through life. Then heart disease sneaked up on me and ZAP! –took me right out of my life as I knew it! For years, my physical heart, this engine of life, took control and defined my life as I struggled to redefine myself. It started with a spiritual journey that continues today, giving rise to my desire to share about angels and other spiritual experiences.
I wasn’t expected to live long, so I felt in a hurry to live! Passion–I decided to live with passion–passion for the things I loved to do! Writing is one of those things, as is gardening and most of all genealogy! I’ve lived 17 years! 17 years –as a totally unexpected gift! –a three grandchildren gift! Who knew? Stories–people–family–they are my passion, and what I want to share with you–straight from my heart to your soul!
My husband Max, now husband of 45 years, honored me by dedicating a song to me that makes me cry! But it also speaks volumes as to why I am still here, living, and able to share. Thank you my precious love of my life! And thank you my friends and family, and friends to be– who read my blog and share your ideas and thoughts with me, thank you!
Heart of a Southern Woman 
January 10, 2014 at 6:19 am
Power to you Helen!
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January 10, 2014 at 6:33 pm
thank you Marius! Helen
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January 26, 2014 at 12:15 pm
The music combined with the reading made me feel such an emotion in my heart, it almost came to tears. Outstanding !
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January 26, 2014 at 12:30 pm
Thank you so very much! Your reaction, shared, definitely warms my heart!
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April 17, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Dear Helen, my sister Judy found your site and sent me the link. We are descended from Maurice Langhorne (1719 1791 who married Elizabeth Trottter) and are interested in knowing more about the early relatives in Virginia. I am Edyth C O’Neill age 83 living in Central Texas, Through Maurice we are kin to Henry Cary the builder in Williamsburg and through this Henry, possibly even Henry VIII through the children of Henry’s wife’s sister. (horrors what a terrible ancestor!) That I can go into with you later if you are interested. At present I am sticking to the family on this side of the pond. Of interest is the claim in the material I have found, that the present Queen of England also traces her lineage to the children of the sister of Henry’s queen Ann Boleyn and thus to Henry himself as he bedded both sisters.
I will now go try to order the book on the Langhornes of Virginia, and am anxious to read more of what you have written.
The photograph in your blog of a portrait of Maurice Scarsbrook Langhorne looks like a civil war era photograph, what was his date again? Not 1719 as I read? I will re read this. I am missing something? Photographs were not made before the mid 1800’s Best wishes from your Cousin Edyth I hope you will have time to contact me personally .
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April 17, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Dear Edyth C. O’Neill and sister Judy! I am thrilled to hear from you1 I will email you in just a moment. Thank you so much for leaving this message. By the way, I believe that is a photo of a portrait of Maurice Langhorne, 1719, I have taken photos of many portraits myself to post on ancestry, althugh I did not take this one!
Looking forward to talking with you, your cousin, helen
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April 24, 2014 at 7:04 pm
Hi Helen,
Thanks for commenting and following my blog. As to the Ernst line, there are six parts, I do have another possible collateral line (I think a brother of Lewis Ernst, 1821-1875). I have been looking for his father and on back, but haven’t found anything yet. Lewis was born in Germany, and I haven’t found his port of entry, although i suspect it’s New York. The other posts are either in the archives or just further up or down on the blog. This is one my present spouse’s ex’s line. It’s possible there’s a connection to your cousin’s Ernst line, I’d have to see some of the data first. Most of the Ernsts I’ve got are farmers in Illinois and Iowa. My spouse is also a descendant of Margaret Beaufort, Henry II of England and Charlemagne. All the best.
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April 24, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Cool that your husband is also a descendant of Margaret Beaufort. I am also a descendant of Charlemagne! LOL I’d love to see your tree if it is on ancestry or somewhere accessible. If you give me your email or ancestry user name I’ll invite you. Or you can just find mine under my user name hyholshouser. The trees you might be interested in are the Ernst/Roper tree which is just started, and possibly the Old Virginia Families tree– but there are no Ernst there. I feel finding your blog was serendipitous at least! I did send the link to Karen, an can hardly wait to hear back from her. I think she will be excited! Thanks for coming by my blog as well. Helen
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April 25, 2014 at 1:36 am
Don’t have anything on ancestry, out of my reach right now. You can email me at lineagehuntergenealogy@gmail.com. You can have Karen email me there as well. I have stopped adding people to any of the online trees, especially the ones that allow others to change things. I got fed up with repairing things when I’ve spent uncounted hours researching to make sure my information is correct then some unknown person goes and undoes the hard work with the garbage I spent time researching to get rid of. Too bleeding frustrating. I’d love a subscription to ancestry but I’m in no position to fork over that amount of money, maybe in the near future.
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April 25, 2014 at 9:38 am
Thanks for the information Aquila. I am so addicted to ancestry I don’t know what I would do w/out it! LOL sad I know! I agree you don’t want others changing your tree! Alerting you to errors is fine, but don’t change my work! LOL I am lucky that I just found out that AARP members save 30%! It helps. You do great w/out them, so that’s great!
Helen
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September 26, 2014 at 12:42 am
Helen, I love your blog. I have nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award.http://branchingoutthroughtheyears.blogspot.com/2014/09/totally-floored-and-appreciative.html
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September 26, 2014 at 9:19 am
Wow Fran! You honor me tremendously! What’s amazing is that I had just been nominated by another blogger! I am blessed and encouraged by both of you! Thank you so much! I had just picked up and started working on what she gave me, now I can and am grateful for the thoughtfulness on your and her parts! Thank you so much! Helen
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October 8, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Hey Helen! I come from the Spangler clan. My grgrgrandfather was Rufus Spangler. His daughter, Bertie Spangler (married to Silas Glenn Nichols) was my grgrandmother. Her daughter, Iris Nichols was my grandmother. I’m not sure of the connection, but I know Tump was Bertie’s 1st cousin. I have some stories if you would like to hear them! Celeste
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October 8, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Hi Celeste! So hapy to meet you! –and so very glad you found me! I love my Spangler cousins, and it just so happens I have Nichols cousins as well! I know some Paynes, but not sure how they relate. I can hardly wait to get our reltionship sraight!
In fact, I checked my family tree where I had both Rufus and Bertha, and added Iris and you, hope that’s okay!
Celeste Payne
is Tump’s 2nd cousin 3x removed
private
mother of Celeste Payne
Iris Nichols
mother of private
Bertha A Spangler (1892 – )
mother of Iris Nichols
Rufus Spangler (1858 – 1899)
father of Bertha A Spangler
George Washington Spangler (1818 – 1917)
father of Rufus Spangler
John Spangler (1783 – 1848)
father of George Washington Spangler
Richard Spangler (1813 – 1897)
son of John Spangler
Wallace Wolford Spangler (1851 – 1926)
son of Richard Spangler
Charles Langhorne “Tump” Spangler
You are the son of Wallace Wolford Spangler –
Helen Spear Youngblood (1949 – )
is Tump’s 1st cousin 2x removed
Margaret Steptoe Kerse (1918 – 1980)
mother of Helen Spear Youngblood
Katherine Steptoe Houchins (1883 – 1943)
mother of Margaret Steptoe Kerse
Evaline (going blind when died young)) Langhorne (1866 – 1900)
mother of Katherine Steptoe Houchins
James Steptoe (blind) Langhorne (1822 – 1905)
father of Evaline (going blind when died young)) Langhorne
Frances (Fannie) Eunice (blind) Langhorne (1854 – 1936)
daughter of James Steptoe (blind) Langhorne
Charles Langhorne “Tump” Spangler
You are the son of Frances (Fannie) Eunice (blind) Langhorne –
When I run your and my relationship, it says we are 1st cousins, 4x removed of the husband of my great grand aunt (Fannie spangler-Tump’s mother! LOL I think that means we are related by marriage! Hey I’ll take it, and I would love to hear your stories!You can email me at helenholshouser@gmail.com So happy you wrote, and looking forward to hearing more from you!
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November 4, 2014 at 9:10 pm
One word. Overwhelmed! Recently caught the ancestry bug and my little head is swimming. I purchased The Virginia Langhorne’s over the summer, and have spent some time (ok, a lot of time) on Ancestry.com. My great grandfather was John Archer Langhorne (page 147) in The Virginia Langhorne Book, and my grandfather was Robert Kemp Langhorne. I stumbled on your sight looking for the author of this book as I was interested in having it signed. Enjoyed seeing pictures of the reunion, perhaps if you have another would you be interested in having some more Langhorne’s attend? We will bring food…….. 🙂
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November 5, 2014 at 12:13 am
Hi there, It is always great to meet a Langhorne cousin! In fact I met another one today! We will include any and all Langhorne cousins when next we get together! (espcially those who will bring food! LOL! If you’d like, you can email me at helenholshouser@gmail.com so that we can get to know each other better. So glad you left a note. Look forward to getting to know you. Helen
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December 14, 2014 at 5:44 am
Helen, we are ninth or tenth cousins down from our Niew Netherland gateway ancestral couple, Hendrick Jansen Spier and Magdaleen Van Swol. I enjoyed your blog narrative of the colony’s founding, and of her personal familial and marital history here.
Being a descendent, via my father’s patrilineal line, from their second daughter Zeytje Spier (b. 1655) and her first husband Hendrick Hendrickson van Rijn (from the Rhineland; whose surname in the next generation changed to Bruyn, then by circa 1750 to Brown), I do alert you to the error of your “1679” date of death for her–likely inadvertent, as you comment that in that year her mother Magdaleen lost both her young son Abraham and her husband Hendrick Spier, but you do not mention Zeytje.
Zeytje Spier born 1655 did not die at age 22 in 1679, but in the next decades bore several children (e.g., my ancestor Johannes Bruyn, Sr. who married Rebecca van den Boogh, niece of NYC Mayor Wilhelmus Beeckman’s wife nee Catalinje de Boogh who with Beeckman ancestored many US history celebrities –e.g., US Presidents Martin Van Buren, Franklin Delano Roosevelt [and wife Eleanor] and the Georges Bush, Declaration of Independence signer and Committee of Five member Robert Livingston, and Astors)–and Zeytje outlived her first husband, to remarry circa 1700 a Poulus Doweson.
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December 14, 2014 at 5:53 am
P.S. Elsewhere I have read that Zeytje Spier’s “brothers” founded “Speertown” in Essex County NJ, which today is Upper Montclair (the rest of Montclair having begun as the English colony Cranetown).
Helen, as you descend from Zeytje’s brother Johannes Spier, do you know if he was one such founder of Speertown? And which other brothers were?
P.P.S. I once read that pop singer David Cassidy’s mother descends from the Niew Netherland Spiers.
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December 14, 2014 at 6:29 am
How wonderful to meet you! I love to find cousins whom I didn’t know before! Thanks also for catching my mistake in the death date of Zeytie! i will fix it immediately! Please feel free to email me at helenholshouser@gmail.com, i would love to get to know you. I am going to look at what i have on Speertown and come back. I think I have another cousin who went there for a visit!
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December 15, 2014 at 11:40 am
Good morning Julia Brown, Monday, Dec. 15, 2014
I have not been able to establish very much about the Speers and their settlement in Speerstown. There is a book written about it, but it is no longer inprint, not available as an e-book, and only availabe from collectors, or libraries in New Jersey and New York! Perhaps one of us will find it and can inform the other of the facts! It’s title is
The Speers of Speertown, New Jersey who Were Among the Descendants of Hendrick Jansen and Madeline Spiers …author: Jane Norman Smith, published 1946, 30 pages.
Elsewhere I find many citations that say John Speer, son of Hendrick Jansen and Madeline Spiers was the main founder of Speerstown, which is part of upper Montclair, NJ at this time. His stone house still stands I read. A cousin of mine f=visited that stone house, about 20 years ago now–I had not realized it had been that long. He is now deceased, and his children cannot tell me more detailed history.
If and when I learn more information, I will surely share it with you, and I hope you will do the same. Please stay in touch. Sincerely, Helen
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April 24, 2015 at 1:31 am
Helen,
I recently learned I am a direct descendent of Christopher Newport. Another family member is working with a researcher and sent this and other information. I’ve been looking into it further for my own interest and came across your blog. Would you mind sharing your research methods associated with the Jamestown Historical Society? I admire your depth of research, finding such detailed stories. It really makes history come alive and your ancestors very real.
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April 24, 2015 at 3:28 am
Hi Michelle, thank you sincerely for the compliment. I am retired, disabled, and research many hours every day. I find it absorbing and rewarding. I find threads to follow, some end short, others–many lead to rich discoveries. I am not a professional, and my research methods are not methodical nor well organized, more passionate. I’m sure that might disappoint, but i would happily share what i can. Feel free to email me at helenholshouser@gmail.com. Wishing you the best, Helen
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April 24, 2015 at 6:59 am
Helen, this doesn’t disappoint in the least! Coffee’s on and I’m really excited to read the rest of your blog entries today. I’ll be in touch.
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May 8, 2015 at 10:46 am
So much respect for you! You’re very strong woman Helen! I’m glad I’ve found your blog!
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May 8, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Thank you so much Franny Stevenson, thanks for following, looking forward to getting to know you! Helen
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June 14, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Hey Cousin Helen! I wrote you last year and just now found that you had answered. Thanks so much! I surely have enjoyed reading your stories about my Spangler ancestors. Please let me know if there is going to be a family reunion in the future. I would love to help with that in any way possible. Hope all is well with you and yours. Celeste Payne Kitchen
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April 4, 2016 at 10:34 pm
Dear Helen, I was delighted when I stumbled upon your blog. I am descended from Robert Hogg, born 1721 in Scotland, married to Letitia. I have not done any DNA testing yet, but am considering it.
Congrats on all your research, and I LOVE the flying pig!
Denise Hogue Hoff
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January 23, 2017 at 12:42 pm
Helen,
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your many blogs, both as a history buff, and as a cousin of yours. James Steptoe Langhorne, your maternal 2nd Great Grandfather, was the brother of John Scarsbrook Langhorne (1818-1886), who is my maternal 3rd Great Grandfather. My maternal grandmother, Langhorne Dabney Lewis Jr. (yes, Jr.!) was the daughter of Langhorne Dabney Lewis, who was the son of Sarah Elizabeth Dabney Langhorne Lewis, John Scarsbrook Langhorne’s daughter. As Edyth C O’Neill mentioned to you several years ago, I too would be interested in your genealogical research and pictures,
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January 27, 2017 at 6:16 am
Hi Helen…have been enjoying reading your stories, my sister Pam has been in touch with you
re Family History etc.
P.S. beautiful song your husband chose.
Jenny Green
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January 27, 2017 at 8:20 am
Thank you so much Jenny Green, looking forward to getting to work with you and Pam more! That song always gives me chills❤️
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January 27, 2017 at 8:24 am
Hi cousin! So glad to see you here, and thrilled that you are enjoying the family stories! Feel free to write me at helenholshouser@gmail.com Thanks.
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January 28, 2017 at 5:21 pm
Hello Helen My sister Pam tells me that we share some DNA in our ancestry. I am the eldest sibling of a family of 7. Jenny Green is my youngest sister..
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January 28, 2017 at 6:07 pm
Hi Valerie! How wonderfulto meet you! Thanks for saying hi! Are you on facebook? Pam and I have connected tere, and perhaps we can also1 Love it! Helen
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November 12, 2018 at 8:33 pm
Helen: I descend from Anna Margareth Holshouser, daughter of Casper and Margaretha. She married Michael Hartman Dillow . Born in Pennsylvania and died in Salisbury, Rowan County, NC. I have researched her family for 35 years, and have published six
volumes of their ancestry – Michael, Sr., Jacob. Sr. , Margaret, Mary, Barbara and Peter, some 35,000 total descendants. These volumes are all with the Genealogical Society of Rowan County in Salisbury. You might be interested in viewing them. I may have been in contact with you several years ago, but am not sure. I corresponded with a Helen Holshouser. To my knowledge, she never published any of her work, and I remember she had everybody recorded on index cards.
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November 13, 2018 at 11:46 am
Hi Paul, how wonderful to hear from you! Apparently, that was a different Helen Holshouser that you communicated with years ago, I knew there were others with that name as well. I’d like to put your line in my family tree on ancestry if you don’t mind. I’ll email you so that we can compare notes! Congratulations on your published works and your incredible amount of research! That is wonderful! Helen
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July 25, 2019 at 2:33 pm
Great page! I would like to have the info you have on the Atlas Pearce family, I just did the AncestryDNA test and found out I am Donnie Bunn’s 1st cousin!! I was adopted at birth and none of the Pearce’s knew I existed. Ben is my grandfather!!! Hattie Francis is my aunt and her brother Paul was my biological father!! We just need to find out who my mother is not. Up for a challenge??? I am so excited to be part of this family now. !!
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July 25, 2019 at 6:10 pm
How exciting for you! Donnie is such a nice guy,and I know several other cousins–unknown to each other! Write to me at helenholshouser@gmail.com and we’ll work on it! Have you talked with Donnie?
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June 10, 2020 at 10:41 am
I am impressed with your work, but would like to give you some information about the Edie family. You were under the impression that Charles Edie, of Cushing Hall fame, was the son of Elizabeth Randolph White, but he was not. She died in 1828 giving birth to a daughter who also did not survive. Charles’ mother was Amanda Melvina Miller. Listed below is the family of Dr. Joseph Spears/Speers Edie:
-wife Elizabeth Randolph White 1804–1828;
–daughter Jane Harriett Edie 1827–1912 married John C. Wade of Christiansburg;
–daughter Caroline A. Edie 1828–1828; and
-wife Amanda Melvina Miller 1815–1871 was the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Joseph I. Miller and Matilda Lynch Charlton;
–daughter Emeline Augusta Edie 1834–1834;
–daughter Matilda Mary Edie 1836–1923 married Dr. William Fletcher Figgatt, who was from Fincastle, Virginia;
–son Charles Taylor Edie 1838–1857;
–daughter Sarah Elizabeth “Lizzie” Edie 1843–1900 married Robert Stewart Hollins and was his second wife; they lived in Nashville, Tennessee;
–daughter Catherine Lewis Edie 1846–1852;
–daughter Emeline Eleanor Edie 1848–1920;
–son Joseph A. Edie 1851–1853;
–son Joseph Alexander Edie 1853–? married Martha A., who moved to Boise, Idaho; and
–son Guian Lewis Edie (Col.) 1857–1930 married Elizabeth Clementine Kip and lived mainly in San Francisco, California.
Notice that there were two sons named Joseph. It was not uncommon to reuse a name after the death of one child. I have not read the book on Charles Edie at HSC, but I hope the author has not listed his parent as the first wife.
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June 10, 2020 at 1:22 pm
Hi Anonymous, Thanks so much for reading and being in touch! I was so glad you corrected my error of Charles Edie’s mother! I fixed it in the blog post just now. I already had it correct in our family tree on ancestry, and his parents were not included in “The Virginia Langhornes” book. It was just my error, and I am glad to have it corrected.
It so happens that i was just doing some research around the Edie family. I am trying to find if they have a connection to the Tracey family. Are you by any chance aware of any relationship between the Edies and Traceys? If so, please email me at helenholshouser@gmail.com. Thanks again for your help. Helen
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September 29, 2020 at 7:50 pm
Correction for Anonymous. The legal birth name for Col. Guy Lewis Edie is not Guian! His birth certificate makes no mention of Guian, a name I have only seen on internet. No one in the family has ever used anything but his real name: “Guy”
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September 30, 2020 at 4:30 am
Very interesting, thanks for the facts. I have several generations of men named Guy in my own family and I love the name.
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October 20, 2021 at 12:26 pm
My name is Marilyn Muse. On one of your blogs – #50- you discuss some Muse relations. I think we share a relation Katherine Battalie and George Muse. So we are cousins I guess! I was wondering if George was also a French Huguenot? Thanks for any information you might be able to give me!
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October 20, 2021 at 2:02 pm
Hi Marilyn, thank you so much for writing–it is so nice to meet a cousin. I have grandchildren visiting until Saturday this week, so it may be Sunday or even next week before I can discuss this with you. I love meeting new cousins and am excited to talk with you. You can write me at helenholshouser@gmail.com also if you’d like. Thanks,Helen
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