Who Am I?

 My name is Cathy Pierce.  I started doing research on my family about 30 years ago, right about the time the internet started becoming an "in" thing.  Since starting my research several websites have been created, they are Ancestry . com and Family Search . Org.  to name just 2.  I have found a lot of information on both.  I first started on Ancestry . com, but found that it wasn't suitable to what I wanted to achieve.  However, it is great for finding information on.  Family Search is also great for finding actual documents, but you need to know where to look for them first.  

When I started I went to the local Library and pulled up census records on microfilm, if that tells you anything....LOL!!  

I have gotten back on my mother's lines to approximately 1760's and my father's lines to about the same era.  My father's lines are a little easier than my mother's lines but still it has been an interesting journey.  

One of mother's lines is Captain Henry Connelley, Connelly, or Connely, or Conley....depends on who you are talking about.  Captain Henry was in the Revolutionary War.  Some also use the short version of his name when talking about him as CHC..or the Captain!  

Loretta Lynn, Chrystal Gayle and a few others also come from this line of Connelly's.  I personally found this extremely interesting since my grandmother always told me that we were related to Loretta Lynn, but she couldn't remember exactly how.

One of my mother's other lines is Valentine Collins, who through Y-DNA we have found out was the son of a Bunch male.  Valentine married at some point before 1804 Dicey Gibson.  Which makes me have a "Mulengeon" background.  This has been a focus for about the last 10 years.  Trying to figure out exactly who Valentine's father is.  We have yet no proof.  

My father's lines are McMullen and Belcher from around Largo, Florida.  Very prominent people in the area.  7 McMullen brother's all settled in the Largo, Clearwater area of Pineallas County.  At one time these 7 brothers owned all of the property from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater on the Gulf of Mexico.  Very interesting to say the least.  I am a descendant of Daniel McMullen whose home is in a place called "Heritage Village" in Largo....and his wife Margaret Ann Campbell.