I am gathering family stories here — the ones that might fade if no one writes them down.
Much of my family history connects to the names Fuller, Toliver, Rath, and Bratton — and from there, the branches spread wide into many more families. If you are researching any of these lines, there is a good chance our paths cross somewhere along the way.
I have tried, more than once, to write these stories into a book. But the scope was large, and I kept getting overwhelmed. And still, the stories called to me.
So this is what I’m doing now:
Every other week, I’ll share one story.
One person.
One memory, photograph, or detail that deserves to be kept.
I am a hobbyist genealogist. I try very hard to be accurate, and I do my best to verify facts before I share them. But sometimes the records conflict, memories blur, or pieces go missing. If you see something here that needs to be corrected — or if you have your own stories or memories of these same families — please share them.
The goal is not perfection.
The goal is remembrance.
These are not stories of famous people. They are stories of ordinary lives: quiet endurance, steady hands, family held together through hard winters and long summers, prayers whispered, pies baked, gardens tended, and losses carried with grace.
I’m not trying to make these stories bigger than they are.
I’m simply trying to remember them — and pass them on.
Thank you for being here.
Cynthia (née Fuller) Kolf