I was born Sylvia Rene Stevens in 1948 in Shelbyville, Indiana to Sylvia Marie Tennant and Henry Burl Stevens Jr. I had an older sister, Barbara Marie, and eventually a younger brother, Robert Burl. Although born in Indiana, we moved to Santa Maria, California when I was still a baby and I spent the rest of my childhood there.
I married and had two daughters who are now married themselves and live in Oregon and California. In 1995 I remarried to Jack Baron who has two daughters, as well. Together, we are blessed with six grandchildren.
I am retired after thirty years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and I spend part of almost every day researching family.
I invite you to come along with me as I post about family, long known and newly discovered, and the stories associated with them.
Wandering Through My Roots 
Great Blog Rene!
Hi – I have nominated you for a Liebster Award to help blogs get seen a bit more by new people – please do check out my post where I have nominated you! http://loislanesavestheday.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/liebster-award-my-oh-my/
Hi — I am in the Stevens line. Cary and William (my grandfather) were brothers. Thank you for any information you have on their lineage. Do you have a family tree diagram for them? I am so excited to find you — I have never had success tracing my Stevens roots until now.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have Cary and William’s parents but I can’t prove any farther back than that. Do you have any photos? Did you know Willilam? What stories did he tell?
Thanks for replying. William Stevens was born April 8th 1879 in Acton Indiana. I know he joined the Navy in 1908. The Navy brought him to Charleston, SC. He married Ruth Bailey in 1912. He died in 1960. I knew him — I still miss him after all this time. He loved farming and we lived on 70 acres. Two of his sisters came to visit us on several occasions — Ida Paxton and Clara (can’t remember her last name) I have names: Elizabeth, Emma, Augustus, George W, Cary, Clary, Pearl, Etta, William and Ida. I grew up knowing there was a Joann in California which was my cousin. Ida had a daughter, Nellie Handwork, I was told George was from Ireland and he also fought in the Civil War. Nellie provided that bit of information. I have a picture of William as a young man — I will try to get it to you. As long as he was able my Grandfather would travel home in August each year to go to the State Fair. I really don’t have any stories. He told me he raced sullkies when he was a teenager. My parents and I lived with William and Ruth in a ten room farm house. I am an only child and William was my best friend.
All I have found is that George W was born in Ohio (in 1837 maybe) and Sara J was born in Indiana. Children’s names Elizabeth, Emma, Augustus, George W, Cary, Clary, Pearl, Etta and William. This was in an 1880 census. Ida was born after 1880.
Thanks for all of your help and I will keep digging.
Hi All, I am Ida Stevens-Paxton’s Great-Great Grandson, Nathaniel. JoAnn (from William Stevens line and from above comment) led me here via a discussion on ancestry.com. I have found that our matriarch, Sarah Stevens’, maiden name was not Foglesong, but was instead Hutchinson. The issue probably arose because there was a couple with the same first and last names and ties to Cass county in the same era. Our relatives were from Acton. Though I don’t know why it has Her first name ad Nancy in it, Sarah’s obituary is here, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6901036/nancy_jane_hutchinson_obituary/. An article about our family reunion is here, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6901157/sarah_jane_stevens_family_reunion/. Another article about our family reunion (same article as above, but with a picture of Sarah) is here, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9589389/sarah_jane_stevens_family_reunion/. Would love to continue sharing what I know. Found Sarah and George Washington’s grave stone a couple weeks ago in Greenwood Cemetery. Cheers, Nate
Hello Rene, I am the GGgrandaughter of Everett Emerson Wright who married Minnie Bell Mills. My dad is George Arnold Wright who’,s father is Arlis Eldo Wright. Im enjoying all that you have done and blessed too see all these photos of family.
I am the great-granddaughter of Sarah Florence Shadowen Dye of Pulaski, Kentucky, 1866-1935 and inherited 5 boxes of family “stuff”. As I am now 78, I have been researching and compiling a family history for my granddchildren.
When I get to the Chaudoin family (of which Shadowen or Shadoan is shown as the spelling in 1783 with William Shadoan) , things get complicated. The Chaudoin Family History disagrees with what has been written about “Francois Chaudron” and said there is no factual basis and call him “invented” by a researcher who wished to fill in missing information. The author is now deceased. Others claim the fictional Francois Chaudron died at 2 years and there is no proof he was the earliest ancestor to arrive in America.
Do you know anything about this?
Sorry these folks are not in my lineage.
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