Hi there and welcome to my website! My name is Cheryl Boggs, and I am The Ancestor Hunter. I am obsessed with genealogy, and have been a self-professed genealogy “addict” since 2008. However, even as a teenager, I was always intrigued with my great-grandmother, whom I knew quite well, that immigrated from Hungary when she was only 6 years old. When I ordered the ship manifest of the ship she arrived on, I was hooked!
There is ALWAYS something to learn as a genealogist. That is why it is so important to me to network with other professional genealogists in Europe, Eastern Europe, Australia and here in the United States. I am passionate about continuing my genealogy education, so I attend webinars on various topics of genealogy to continue my family research education.
As a Professional Genealogist, I love uncovering the details of our ancestors including their triumphs and failures, successes and defeats, where they lived, where they came from and whether or not they participated in historical military battles. Not only am I a family researcher; but more importantly, I see myself as a family story teller. I am consumed with tracing ancestors, researching and finding documents about their lives and then putting the pieces together to discover their personal story.
My mother’s paternal side of the family has been in what is now the United States since about 1645. I have ancestors that have fought in every major military battle this country has ever had. My 8th great grandfather, Samuel, along with his sons fought in the Revolutionary War. Two of my 2nd grand uncles fought and died in the Civil War.
My 3rd cousin, Elsie Janis, was a vaudeville star who had a big heart for lifting the moral of the American troops in WWI. She traveled to France with only her mother as an escort to entertain the American Expeditionary Forces on the front lines!
One of my 1st cousins had a life of crime. He served time behind bars in San Quentin, California in 1916 for grand larceny and embezzlement. He served again in a federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1927 for stealing a Hudson Motorcoach Automobile in Los Angeles and making a run for it. He was caught and tried in El Paso, Texas.
Another story involves my 3rd cousin named Clara. Clara, along with her husband, purchased Catalina Island and founded the town of Avalon around the time of 1877. They built the wharf and the Hotel Metropole before they lost the island due to debt. Clara’s husband died young, but Clara was resilient and courageous. She continued to buy and sell properties in what is now Beverly Hills during the late 1800s and early 1900s. With no heirs, she was quite the philanthropist. There is a church chapel still standing today that is named after her.
The reason I share these stories is to show you that there is so much information that can be found about your ancestors! All you need is someone to look. I am that “someone;” or if you prefer, we can do it together.
As you can see, genealogy is so much more to me than a family tree! It is a passion I have, and one I want to share with you. I would love to help you discover your ancestors that walked before you. I invite you to work with me to discover your unique family story and build your family tree. I am confident the journey of discovering who you came from and their individual stories will be fascinating. Everyone has a family story. I would love to help you discover yours.
Oh, by the way, did I mention I am related to Abraham Lincoln? I suppose that’s a story for another time…
