About Me

Hello! I am Colleen G. (Brown) Pasquale, author of this blog. I am a wife, mother of three grown children, Nana of four beautiful children & retired elementary school teacher. I live in rural New York State but I am often traveling to research our family or to visit our children and grandchildren who live in other states.

Are you a cousin? You will find lots of family data, stories & photographs of our shared family members. You will read about how I uncovered that information. Check my SURNAMES & PLACES to see if we are related. And, if you contact me, I might write a post about our connection.

Are you a family history enthusiast? You will find lots of tips in my posts. I post about helpful books, cemeteries, maps, websites and libraries. I also post about my research trips. I have searched in various Pennsylvania historical societies, the library in Salt Lake City, several southern states and Ireland. When I attend genealogy conferences I post about the experience. Look at my RESOURCES tab for websites that I have found useful for various states. Look at MY LIBRARY for books about various states & counties. Maybe you can learn from my experiences.

I am the person in the family who pesters everyone for family stories, memorabilia and photos. I love genealogy, photography, quilting & mostly, my family! I didn’t realize genealogy existed until about 1990, when I came across and purchased a book titled: Do People Grow on Family Trees? Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners, by Ira Wolfman. I learned I could discover more about my family than just the stories. I had always thought family history was an oral history; stories told by family members and passed on to new generations. I grabbed a notebook and trotted off to the local Family History Library where I learned about microfilm and microfiche. That was just the beginning of many research trips. If you see a lady with a camera around her neck, notebook in hand & cassette recorder in her pocket, that's me.

Like my blog? Become a follower, write a comment & tell others to stop by.

Questions? My email is found below. I will do my best to answer you promptly.

My Publications:

• Pasquale, Colleen. "John, Thomas Jefferson, Marion & William Mark: Brothers & Soldiers." Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal. XV.1 (2011). 

• Pasquale, Colleen. The Mark Family Story.Troy, New York: Troy Book Makers, 2011. Print. 

• Pasquale, Colleen. Remembrances. Troy, New York: Troy Book Makers, 2016. Print.

My Website: 

 Our Leaves & Branches 

Contact me:

Are you a cousin?  contact me. <cgbp [at] nycap.rr.com> Let’s share & compare. 

Who am I?

I am a small part of a wonderful family; wife, mother, sister, cousin, aunt,…

I am the result of a long line of strong, independent women.

I am a descendent of an Irish baker, a Western Union telegrapher & a Mississippi wheelwright.

I am a collector of postcards, family memorabilia, photographs and ancestors.

I am an enjoyer of holidays and traditions.

I am a gatherer of letters & documents, of names & dates.

I am an organizer who likes folders and paper and pens in many colors.

I am a journaler, a scribbler, a would be novelist.

I am someone who learns and grows; who teaches and shares.

I am a traveler, an explorer of new places.

I am a beach walker, a seashell collector, a wave splasher.

I am a photographer, trying to preserve today for tomorrow.

I am a lover of color & texture, of fabrics and threads and quilts.

I am a grower of pink roses, white baby’s breath and yellow marigolds.

I pamper my cats and feed the birds.

I laugh and cuddle with children.

I reread favorite books, enjoying the visit with the characters.

I light candles and whisper prayers.

I gaze at stars and imagine.

I love and dream and wonder.

I am a small part of a marvelous universe.

Colleen G (Brown) Pasquale

Where am I From?

I am from a red wagon, a rope swing, a fat pitcher of icy Kool Aid; from fields of wild flowers and the shady woods.

I am from a small town, a red brick school, quiet, settled, beside the Hudson River.

I am from apple trees, corn fields and neighborly mountains.

I am from family picnics, Scout uniforms, marching in parades, flags and freckles, dogs with wagging tails and piles of laughing cousins.

I am from mechanics and farmers; independent and ingenious.

I am from soldiers and carpenters; straight and strong.

I am from women who cooked and cuddled; who hung out laundry and encouraged dreams.

I am from mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles: working & joking, reassuring & inspiring.

I am from Rosary beads, altar boys and flickering candles in the peaceful darkness.

I am from Irish Coyles; from German Marks; from colonial Browns and American apple pie.

I am from a Jewish telegrapher, an Irish baker, an Ohio carpenter and a Mississippi wheelwright.

I am from weathered tombstones, faded photographs and a dented steamer trunk.

I am from a family tree with deep roots, a sturdy trunk and branches that reach to the future.

Colleen G (Brown) Pasquale