My name is Nancy Sorofman, and I am the author/administrator of the 4Family-History site.

I love reading and writing and researching family history. I love the challenge of following the clues and solving the mysteries of our past. I love following those clues into musty archives or deep into the web.

I also want to share what I’ve learned with my family and with others. This blog was created in order to do just that. And the blog format is fun for me because I enjoy learning about computers, the software not the hardware!

My Mentors

My grandmother, Moiselle (Stoney) Burbidge, my mother-in-law, Ruth (Cummings) Sorofman, and my Jackson Uncles have been my mentors. Their encouragement, and willingness to share their knowledge has made this journey much more fun. Many other people within our wide and wonderful set of relations have published books, articles, pictures, databases, and websites about family. And they must also be counted as mentors. My goal is to publish as they have.

I have two undergraduate degrees — one in anthropology/archaeology and one in nursing. By the end of those years, I learned how to write and how to do research. Among other things… I’ve worked a bit in the field doing archaeology. I’ve been a psychiatric nurse for much longer. Now, I’m a retired psychiatric nurse. Traveling and doing genealogy are my passions.

My Genealogy Education

I started taking genealogy classes about 2005, starting with the Boston University Online genealogy semester. And I haven’t looked back since. I’ve had the opportunity to take classes from some of the most skilled genealogists around.  I was at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy this year; it did not disappoint. My other goal is to get certified as a genealogist. I just need to get more experience in producing professional reports. Maybe next year?

4Family-History

This blog has been created to represent the lineage of my children so it includes their four major family lines — Burbidge, Cummings, Jackson, and Sorofman. I’ve tried to keep it focused on stories rather than on family group sheets and pedigrees. I’ve attempted, through trial and error (more than I care for) to respect the privacy of our living family members. For this reason, I start with the great-grandparents of my children. This is the generation born just between 1890 and 1910. For the most part, their histories will not be followed beyond childhood. Again, this is to protect our privacy.

For those wanting a linear perspective, GenealogyPages is an item in the top menu. Within its pages will be more details — the names, dates, places, and relationships of our ancestors. Genealogy is never complete, and just when a date or relationship seems irrevocable, it changes.