About Erin
I have always been interested in history - whether it was in the form of the classes I took in college (even though I was not a History major), or the historical fiction novels I read, or my own family’s stories, so it wasn’t really a leap for me to become interested in genealogy.
My fascination grew, and I became more serious about doing it right when, while visiting my parents and my grandfather in the summer of 2018, I brought home a small wooden chest packed full of letters dating back to the 19th century. Reading the letters brought the people to life - not just the letter-writers themselves, but their friends and family members as they wrote about them. I started a blog about that (though haven’t written much) that you can see here: Letters from the Box.
I have done some research for friends - and even though those people aren’t related to me, their ancestors became my family as I did the research! I have researched immigrants, emigrants, and multi-generational American families. All of them have been worthy of my time and energy in keeping their stories alive.
Why “Dodona”?
I live on my husband’s family farm - along with two of his sisters, his mother, and two nieces and their families. It has been in his family since 1747 (with the exception of 40 years when it was owned by the Catholic Church). The name of the farm is “Dodon” and we don’t really know where the name comes from. There are two prevailing theories: the first, that it comes from the French, “Dieu Donne” - translating roughly to Gift from God; the second theory is that it was named for the Greek Oracle, Dodona - the oldest oracle in Greece. The priests and priestesses at Dodona would interpret the rustling of oak leaves at their sacred grove to determine divine messages.
The sacred oak tree at Dodona played a central role in its divinatory practices, symbolizing continuity and connection with the divine. While I claim absolutely no divinity, I believe everyone has a right to know their own history - the good and the bad. In genealogy, a tree with roots is a powerful symbol representing family lineage and the interconnectedness of generations. It visually conveys the idea of tracing one's ancestry back through time, much like how the oracle sought wisdom from ancient traditions. Both concepts use roots as a metaphor for foundational elements. At the Oracle of Dodona, the roots of the sacred oak were seen as a link to divine wisdom and ancient traditions. At Dodona Genealogy, those roots symbolize one's heritage and the foundational stories that shape family identity symbolized by the tree above the ground.
