Hi Everyone! My name is Rebecca, and I have been researching my grandfather's family. Paul Joseph Lynch was born in 1886 and grew up in Dunkirk, NY. My father knew very little about his family history. For various, slightly-scandalous reasons, my grandfather didn't talk much about his family. A bit of a black sheep, he was. After my father died, I started snooping around. I had only some bits and pieces of information -- most of it was incorrect. Thanks to Social Security, the local Catholic church and the National Archives, I discovered my grandfather was born in Dunkirk to a large, Catholic family. During winter break a few years ago, my son and I drove to Dunkirk and spent a week researching the family at various places in Dunkirk and Fredonia. I found the house he grew up in and asked neighbors if they knew the family (the last Lynch died only 20 years previous). To my surprise, I discovered a neighbor who not only had heard of them, she knew them all well! She identified the mysterious individuals in my grandfather's photographs and told me some stories. She also said that my grandfather's sister had a son who was alive and well in Cleveland. She gave me his name and contact information. Of course, I called him -- hoping he'd be willing to talk to me. Sure enough, he was not only WILLING -- he was delighted to learn what happened to his cousins. He organized an event -- we called it a "preunion" -- where my family could meet my grandfather's family (many of them hadn't seen each other in nearly 30 years!). I met many of the Lynch relatives that following summer. True to large families, a few of them remember my grandfather... and they still haven't forgiven him even though he died over forty years ago. Quite a journey... and pretty entertaining to hear them all griping about the old guy. :) That's my story! The family names are LYNCH, WELSH, MOSS, CLIFFORD