Melody Lassalle

Ancestors

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Biography

My name is Melody. I've a California native and the youngest of 5. I'm now the mother of a quirky Jack Russell Terrier.

I've always been interested in history. It was my favorite subject in school and I often watched documentaries for the fun of it.

Growing up I knew some about my Dad's side, but very little about my Mom's side. By my late 20s, I yearned to know more about who my ancestors were and where they came from. In 1990, my Grandmother flippantly remarked that she wanted to record her history but my brother wasn't interested. I jumped up and down to let her know that I was willing to help her out.

Almost everything my Grandmother told me about her roots in the beginning was wrong. But, it didn't matter. She had sparked something within me. And, when she announced after 4-5 letters that she was done with her family history, I was hopelessly hooked.

It was interesting setting out to libraries, cemeteries, and so forth to do research. I had no clue what I was doing, but I was filled with determination and tenacity! I took an independent study course in genealogy through Texas Tech University, where I learned there was a method to this madness. Then, I made my first trip to a LDS Family History Center. Today, it's probably different, but back then I was the youngest person in the building by decades. There was no one under 60 doing research at my FHC. An elderly gent befriended me and he was always a friendly face at the microfilm printer.

That was the beginning of my journey. I've been at it for 24 years now. My tree started out in California, Hawaii, England, Ireland, Azores, and France. In the 24 years, it's branched out to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Australia, Wales, and most of Europe since my Azorean lines hit nobility in the 1500s.

Genealogy isn't easy. It can be frustrating, challenging, and rewarding all in one. Because of this, I've tried to give back and help others along the way. In the 1990s, I was a chat moderator with the Portuguese Genealogy SIG for AOL's Golden Gate Genealogy Forum. Then, I volunteered as a chat moderator and webmaster at GenealogyForum.org. In 2001, I created the Portuguese Genealogy and Heritage website, yourislandroutes.com. In addition to the website, I run the blog, the Research Journal which covers all my areas of research. I'm also the moderator of the Portuguese Hawaiian Genealogy Group on Facebook. I hope to help others learn how to research their trees in Hawaii, the Azores, and beyond. It might be cool to find your tree laid out for you on the web, but it's even more exciting to do the research, discover your ancestor's name in a database, and be able to add a new leaf to your tree.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Melody Lassalle at registration.