Memoria Manus - My Journey

Where It Started

My interest in family research began at a young age, listening to my grandfather and my mother debate family facts during long video calls. The stories fascinated me, and even when they disagreed, the back-and-forth planted a seed of curiosity in me. After my grandfather passed, my mom kept researching, often reaching out to relatives to fill in gaps. As a teen, I wasn’t always interested in joining her, but her persistence left a lasting impression. By 2019 she began slowing down, and after a stroke in 2021 she could no longer continue. That’s when I took on the responsibility to carry the torch.

Diving In (2022)

In the winter of 2022, I fully committed to building my own family tree. What I discovered right away was how many inconsistencies existed in the stories I’d been told. I decided to dig deeper and sort fact from memory.

Paternal Side

My father’s Filipino roots remain one of my biggest challenges. Documentation is limited, and I’m still developing the skills to research effectively in that region. What I do know about my great-grandmother, Bruna, has been a starting point, but much of this line is still built on working theories.

Maternal Side

My mother’s side, however, quickly became a rabbit hole of discoveries. I grew up knowing names like Noah Alonzo Greer and Bertha Marie Larson, and I even inherited handwritten letters from ancestors. But the real mystery was my great-grandfather John Larson. No one seemed to know much about him, and the few photos I received were actually of his children.

The Larson Mystery

With the help of distant cousins, DNA testing, and a new relative-turned-friend in Norway (“Rine”), I began piecing together the Larson line. Rine’s ability to translate Norwegian records was invaluable, and together we uncovered:

John Larson’s likely parents, Edward and Sofia (Ingeborg) Larson.
A surprising Norwegian heritage (after always being told I was Scotch-Irish and Filipino).
Connections spanning Norway, the Netherlands, England, and the U.S.

Through census records, baptism registries, bygdebøker (Norwegian local history books), and DNA results, we started unraveling multiple generations. What had once been a dead end became a sprawling, migraine-inducing puzzle — and I loved every moment of it.

Expanding My Work (2023–2025)

Once I broke through my own brick walls, I realized I had developed skills that could help others.

Family & Friends: I began researching for relatives and friends, solving mysteries and documenting their trees.
Community: In 2025, I started volunteering with my local historical society, assisting with odd research projects and helping honor fallen service members by tracing their stories.
Beyond Family Research: More recently, I’ve expanded to help coworkers, acquaintances, and even strangers with historical or genealogical questions. Sometimes it’s a small detail, other times it’s an entire family line.

Family Farm Books I Purchased

Today

What began as a way to honor my grandfather, mother, and family stories has become something much bigger. Family research is no longer just my hobby, it’s my way of connecting people to their roots, exploring history, and chasing down mysteries that others might leave unsolved.

All for curiosity,

Meghan.