Find-Your-Roots

Family History & Genealogy Research

Some Family History (A Work in Progress)
Bits and Pieces of Family Lore— Where Do My Ancestors Come From?
By Carol Prescott McCoy, Ph.D. May 2018

mfh1My grandfather Paul McCoy, upper left hand corner circa 1896 in the Glee Club, from the University of West Virginia 1896 Yearbook (author’s collection.)

My interest in family history started as a child from listening to my grandparents, who were wonderful story tellers. Both my father’s parents lived into their 90s and my mother’s mother lived to be 95. They were all colorful characters and made me intensely curious about their origins. I was especially intrigued by my grandmother’s father, Sam Pollak, who literally drowned before her eyes when she was a baby!

I was also very curious to learn about the McCoy family to see if they had anything to do with the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud of West Virginia. My McCoy ancestors are from "West by God Virginia" as my grandfather Paul McCoy used to say, but they seem to have been peaceful farmers, well educated, rather civilized lawyers, who liked to sing. Paul told me that once a Hatfield totted out a rifle, pointed it at him and told Paul to “git” off his porch!

Besides being wonderful story tellers, my family has always liked to take pictures and hang on to memorabilia, such as old autograph books and yearbooks, and diaries. I have enjoyed learning about the people who owned these precious objects and documents and meeting many people along the way.

Contact Us

Carol P. McCoy, Ph.D
207-373-0318
71 Willow Grove Road
Brunswick, Maine 04011

 

Our Mission

Every family is unique.
Dr. McCoy's mission is to help people discover:

  • Where did I come from?
  • Who are my kin?
  • What makes my family special?

In so doing they will gain a deeper understanding of their family stories, connect with kin, and create a family treasure to share.