I was born in Kentucky, where family stories were a natural part of everyday life. But the true family historians in our home were my parents. My mother, Dixie Sue Fuller Rath, and my father, Henry Lloyd Fuller, Jr., loved genealogy long before the internet made research simple. Whenever they could, they set off on trips near and far, visiting courthouses, libraries, and quiet country graveyards in search of our family’s past.
My younger brother and sister remember those trips well — wandering through old cemeteries while being kept busy making gravestone rubbings. At the time, I didn’t share their enthusiasm. In fact, I had very little interest in any of it. And by the time I realized how precious their knowledge was, my father had already passed away from Alzheimer’s. My mother, also dealing with memory loss, could answer only a handful of the questions I didn’t even know to ask earlier.
Their stories, their research, and their wisdom could have disappeared completely.
But I was fortunate. I inherited many of my parents’ books, notes, and scribbled discoveries — pieces of a puzzle they spent decades assembling. Even though I wasn’t interested then, I had listened. I remembered just enough. And with their notes in hand, I finally began my own journey to discover the ancestors who shaped our family.
Today, Stories Gathered & Remembered is my way of honoring their work and continuing the legacy they started. Here, I collect:
- Family stories passed down or rediscovered
- Ancestor profiles with real historical context
- Photographs, documents, and memories that deserve to be preserved
This site is a gathering place for the people who came before us — their struggles, their courage, their quiet moments, and their remarkable ordinary lives.
Whether you’re a family member, a fellow researcher, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of a well-told life story, I’m glad you’re here.