Acknowledgment to Rhonda Houston
I truly believe that I would still be stumbling in a dark genealogical maze if it were not for my encounter with one woman, that woman being Rhonda Houston.
Experiencing this power house of knowledge via the gen-newbies mailing list was my good fortune. Rhonda immediately caught my attention. So much so that I created a special folder in my mail box designated specifically for her messages regardless of who they are in response to. Some of her responses are so in depth that they are research booklets in themselves. The time that she takes from her life to do this for others is just incredible.
In awe of the responses that Rhonda freely bestows on anyone in need of genealogical help would be the only way I could describe my reaction while sitting at my computer. If we were to take stock of all the people that Rhonda has single handedly helped, honestly we couldn't count them all.
"How could one woman have attained that much knowledge about so many different areas of research?", was a question I often asked my self. I also noticed that when she presented her replies, there was never a sign of one shred of arrogance or superiority, which at times is
prevalent in the world of ancestral research.
I would like to take a moment to share just a few experiences that I have had with Rhonda. Several of them literally altered my live. Trust me, she has that impact.
First off, just watching her in action on our gen-newbie mailing list was the first eye opener. Her Knowledge seems to have no end. When I made the visit to MacLinks Website; where Rhonda has a number of research resource pages, well that was the frosting on the genealogical cake. I then knew for certain that my intuition about this woman was totally correct. She was and is everything that I perceived her to be. I literally moved from the state of awe to the state of shock. It was as is stated
on the MacLinks' Index page, "...this is the work of one woman!"
My first personal encounter with Rhonda was an answer to a question that I posted on gen-newbies. I was having an awful time finding my maternal great-grandparents, although I knew the area where they had lived out their lives. Rhonda responded. Her response has become the foundation for all my genealogical research. Jut one simple sentence changed everything about may research procedure. She said, "Paper doesn't move!". This was my first experience with the movements of county and township boundary lines. I now begin every genealogical adventure with her quote in mind. My first 2 questions are always , "What is the history of the boundary changes?" and "Where is the paper located to reach my research goal?" Rhonda goes with me in spirit every time I go on a research trip. I am always asking myself, "What would Rhonda do to find the data?"
Another vivid memory of Rhonda is the day she sent me 144 websites to check into the surname HEINZE/HEINZ. Can you imagine the time involved accomplishing that task for me? I called my entire family to the computer to show them what she had sent. Now I was on the trail of how to use the search engines like Rhonda does. I took notice of her postings to others with innumerable links for them to research. I haven't mastered this one yet, but I keep working on it. I have learned to just go for it and experiment.
My final memory of Rhonda is the message that I received after a posting that my daughter was diagnosed with pre-cancer. Rhonda not only sent me a wonderful message of encouragement but passed on her phone in case I needed to talk. She even gave me permission to call collect!
These small tales of mine don't begin to give this amazing woman the respect and recognition that she deserves. I do hope that anyone who has been touched by Rhonda will respond in some way. May it be by just saying thank you or by grasping her example and reaching out to help someone struggling along the path of life.
Rhonda is a living example of how one person really; can make a difference in someone's life. She is like the little engine that could. We all know that children's story.
My encounter with Rhonda has opened some wonderful doors in my life. I have taken two courses at my local genealogical society and am thinking of returning to college to pursue a degree in history, My newest blessing has been the totally unexpected offer from Dave, the WebMaster of this fabulous website Maclinks. Dave has reached out and extended his hand of friendship and given me the opportunity of a lifetime. I pray that I can live up to the caliber and standards to these 2 fine people.
What a very fortunate woman I am!
Rebecca Heinz
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Go back to:  Civil War Research Reference & Data Information Center:
Go back to: Civil War Book Review Index:
Go back to: Eastern Panhandle - Lower Shenandoah Valley of Va/ WVa. Index:
Go back to: Rhonda's Missouri Research Index:
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 Would you like to add or become part of the MacLinks' Civil War Resource group? Please feel free to contact Dave at; Maclizard@rogers.com.
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