Sadly, genealogy research has taken a back seat to so many other wonderful and fulfilling activities in retirement. I have a written plan outlining my goals and intentions for the year, which includes primary research in person - visits to such places as the Library of Virginia, the Southampton County Courthouse, the San Jose Mission in Texas, and possibly the Pt. Lookout prison camp in Maryland. The plan also includes writing for information from various agencies, such as the Board of Mental Health in Oklahoma and in Kansas. Time management has become a delicate balance!
Be assured that I have not been completely neglectful of this important project. I am still working on the preservation and digitization of old family photos and have done some undocumented dabbling on Ancestry. I am most persistent in making attempts to break down the brick wall in the Allen family. My most recent accomplishment is verifying that Robert Scott Allen (the father of Augustus) did indeed come from Virginia and not from New England as one Allen family expert suggested. Proving his parentage is my greatest challenge. The Library of Virginia is my next great hope. If I can accomplish that one thing, I will die happy.
