Background

The 'Erwin ~ Davis Family Tree' displayed on this web site is a photograph of a gift I made for my sister years ago. It is a record of my maternal ancestry and this online version begins with my maternal grandparents. I decided to make an online version about a month ago (working around my full time job!) knowing it could be a 'work in progress' for an indefinite period of time.

My grandfather was Billie Gene Erwin and his ancestors, beginning with the Erwins and the Jacksons, are displayed on the left side of the tree. My grandmother was Mary Lou Davis (Erwin) and her ancestors, beginning with the Davis and the Floyd families, are displayed on the right side of the tree. Visually, the photographs and information displayed about their ancestors, starts around the middle and moves up, ending at the top. Conceptually, time travels upward and back into the past.

For Christmas, 2004, I created an 'Erwin ~ Davis Family Tree' for both my mother and my sister. The idea was born one afternoon while standing in my maternal grandmother's 'picture room'. Each tree is unique and each is treasured by my mother and my sister. By creating the trees, I became familiar with some of my ancestors, and that was my unexpected gift!

My maternal grandmother Mary Lou Davis Erwin died in September of 2008. Unfortunately, I'll never forget the week preceding her death. Witnessing the dying process was a macabre, ghastly experience. Waiting/praying for either a miracle recovery or to hasten the inevitable, made for a painful and traumatic week.

However, during that period of time (and today), I felt reassured when I looked at the family tree I made for my mother. Something about seeing the ancestors - the history of my grandmother, comforted me. It grounded me to visualize her moving back, 'in to' the tree - assuming her position among her ancestors. Sadness, fear and unrest were replaced with reverence and veneration.

I was reminded that not only was she a child, a daughter, a sister, a college student, a friend, a wife, a mother, etc. - she was a crucial link of a long, living, ancestral chain. Twenty-three people are living in the present because of/through her, and the grandeur of that overwhelms me!

To pay homage to my grandmother, I decided to create an online (digital) version of the 'Erwin ~ Davis Family Tree' for my whole family to enjoy. My goal is to share what information I have about our ancestors. My hope is that it brings as much joy and pleasure to the rest of my family as it has to me, my mother and my sister.

I started my work for the online version of the Tree with my grandmother's side of the family; so for now that is the part of the tree that has 'mouse-activated' information. Please re-visit because more will be added as I have time to work and as I learn more about family members. Also: I am concurrently working on a 'How To' section which will outline how I created the trees I made!