Welcome to Weaver Genealogy! I am Lisa Weaver, your friendly neighborhood genealogist, historian, writer, ballroom dancer, and Air National Guard Veteran. What do any of these things have to do with one another, you ask? Well, let me explain.
I am fourth generation Omaha born (on my father’s side), raised in the Pacific Northwest, and about fifteen years ago I was stationed in Knoxville, Tennessee working on my Masters in History when my parents came to visit. I inherited my love of genealogy from both my mother and my paternal grandmother (who also gave me her sweet tooth, and let me just say that ice cream for dinner is a completely valid lifestyle choice), and on this particular visit my mother brought with her the family history. Turns out we have a lot of it in East Tennessee, so in the middle of researching the Civil War for my Masters class, we took a trip about 23 miles southeast of Knoxville to a small town just east of Maryville, Tennessee, called Friendsville. Turns out Friendsville, Tennessee, founded in 1804 by Quakers moving east from North Carolina, was founded in part by my Allen relations; the very same ones on my paternal grandmother’s side who gave me my sweet tooth and obsession with family stories. The founding of Friendsville, the Allen history, and their actions during the Civil War in East Tennessee is fascinating in its own right (more blog posts to follow) but in that moment, my interest in genealogy and history was assured. Realizing the military had randomly moved me to a place within spitting distance of the fascinating lives (and graves) of my great-great-grandparents and most of their children, who I knew nothing about until that moment, was a life changing event.
Okay, you ask, but what about the dancing? Well, Knoxville is where it all started for me, although dancing also runs in the family. My great-aunt and aunt were avid dancers in their youth, and my father still tells stories about being dragged to dance classes to watch his sister. As for the writing, that was also the Allen line; if you want a fun historical memoir of life in the midwest at the turn of the century, try to find a copy of The Saga of a Mud-Road Doctor by my great-granduncle, Dr. Charles C. Allen (Nortex Press: Quanah, Texas, 1975).
Oh, and the military thing? Well, that also runs in the family. Numerous Revolutionary War Veterans, Civil War Veterans, War of 1812 Veterans, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and now yours truly, carrying on a family tradition of service to this country that has been such a blessing to us since the earliest immigrations in the 1630s to the last handful in the 1880s.
Now that you know something about me, let me help you find your stories! Please explore my website to see my list of services, and how I can help you trace your roots and bring to life the myriad of people who lived, loved, and led down the years to the person who is uniquely you!