Family History Trips

England 1980

A high school trip to England gave me an opportunity to slip away from the tour for the day and visit the place my Tarplee grandparents left to come to Canada in 1905. Dorothy Margaret Tarplee was 12. She later married W. Cloyd Foster, family neighbours in Canada.

Washington State 1994

Having learned from a visit to cousin Elton Foster that our great grandfather Andrew had been a soldier in the civil war and was buried in Orting WA after living out the end of his life mostly in North Bend and Seattle WA, I made the trip.

MO, KS, OK, AR 1999

Discovering Foster cousins living in SW Missouri lead to plans for a family reunion. We timed it to coincide with a reenactment of the Civil War Battle of Honey Springs, near Checotah OK

Return to WA State 2007

Retraced my steps through North Bend, Snoqualmie Pass and Orting WA.

Union, Columbia, Charleston, South Carolina 2009

My correspondants in Union County said, oh you must come and visit. My friend Robert Ivey said, we would love you to come, but don't come in July. If the snakes and chiggers don't get you the heat will. My vacation time was July. It did.

South Carolina, East Tennessee, Savannah GA 2011

Returning to Grindal Shoals and Union SC, to soak in the family history there and at Columbia, Charleston and Savannah, plus a drive to East Tenneessee, the family's first move west. Oh and Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Goodguys Car Show.

Grindal Shoals and Union SC, Charleston, then Charlotte NC 2012

Retraced my steps through North Bend, Snoqualmie Pass and Orting WA.

My 50th Birthday Trip: Washington DC, Manassas, Antietam and Gettysburg 2012

My correspondants in Union County said, oh you must come and visit. My friend Robert Ivey said, we would love you to come, but don't come in July. If the snakes and chiggers don't get you the heat will. My vacation time was July. It did.

Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma 2013

A business trip coinciding with the 150 Annversary Reenactment at Honey Springs made possible another visit. Spent time in SW Missouri, Eastern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma.

South Carolina 2014

Returning to Grindal Shoals to tour the area with Robert, Jerry and friends. A visit with Cousin Debbie and of course, Charleston

SC, GA, The Shenandoah Valley, Manassas and Washington DC 2016

Grindal Shoals, Charleston and Savannah then north through Virginia to the Manasssas Battlefield. Then Washington DC.

Wahington, Oregon and Idaho 2017

Retracing the steps before Canada. North Bend WA, Ione OR, Boise and Bellevue ID. Plus a visit to cousins near Portland OR and a visit to the Museum and the Hopps Ranch in North Bend inside the Old Soldier's Home in Orting WA

Wahington, Oregon 2018

Exploring south from Orting and Yakima to the lower Columbia, and the Pacific Coast down to Portland and Salem. Then to Morrow County.

South Carolina and Georgia 2024

A tale yet to be written.