Finding My Roots: A Journey Back to Wilkes County

 

Life has a funny way of bringing things full circle—even when you don’t realize it’s happening. This is one of those stories.

Many years ago, I found myself working in Wilkes County, North Carolina—a place I had no known connection to at the time. I was born in California, so anytime someone asked if I was related to a certain Brown family in the area, I would just shake my head and say,

“No, I’m not from here. I was born in California and moved to NC from WV.”

(Side note: My family moved to West Virginia in 1962—that’s another story for another day.)

I never thought twice about it. After all, Brown is a common last name. It never crossed my mind that these folks might actually be my distant relatives.

A Surprising Discovery

A few years ago, my sister, Janean, did the Ancestry.com thing and shared the results with me. That’s when I learned something I never saw coming:

My ancestors had actually settled in Wilkes County in the late 1700s.

You mean I’ve been related to these folks this whole time?

So all those times people asked if I was related to the Browns in the area? Turns out, I probably was.

The very place where I had worked for years was home to my family generations ago.

That realization hit me in a way I didn’t expect. I had unknowingly spent time in the same county my ancestors once called home.

A New Item on My Bucket List

Now, with this new knowledge, I have a new goal: to visit some of the areas in Wilkes County where my ancestors lived. Maybe even find a cemetery or historical site connected to my family.

I’ll tell Janean about it. She is great at updating Ancestry.com. 

It’s a strange but exciting feeling to know that a place I had no reason to feel connected to is actually a part of my story.

It makes me wonder—how many other places in life do we pass through without realizing their significance?

This journey has reminded me that history isn’t just something in books—it’s woven into our lives in ways we don’t always see. And sometimes, it takes a little serendipity (and Ancestry.com—thank you, Janean!) to reveal just how connected we really are.

Life has a way of bringing you right back where you started!

What About You?

Have you ever discovered a surprising family connection in a place you didn’t expect? Maybe through genealogy, an old family story, or just by coincidence? I’d love to hear about it - drop it in the comments!