Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah Sumpter and I am a Genealogy Addict.

Several years ago I discovered a true interest in genealogy. I work on genealogy almost every day now. It isn't uncommon for me to get 'sucked in' and not pull out until very late at night ...only to realize I haven't done the dishes or cleaned the floor.

Most of what we knew about our family history came form fragmented stories, old unlabeled photographs, and the common family myths. Several years ago, my Father gave me a copy of some information he had been able to locate, and that got me hooked. It was wonderful to be able to piece everything together. My Sumpter Family decend from the brother of General Brigadier Thomas Sumpter (Sumter) of Fort Sumter Fame. Thomas Sumpter is my 5th Great-Grand Uncle.

A few years ago I thought it would be a nice gift to research my sister-in-laws family histories. I started with their grandparents and was able to trace their families back to the Mayflower. To my suprise, I kept coming up with the same surnames in both lines and looked into it even further. When Christmas came I had a suprise for both of the girls. As they opened their Family Tree gifts I told them they were related!

My Maternal Aunts have also done an amazing job researching the family. They traced our Norweigen ancestors back to King Edward I, known as Longshanks. In fact he is my 26th Great-Grandfather through several male decendants.

I love the challenge of locating ancestors who have vanished over the years. It is because of their choices and sacrifices that we are here today.