The apple doesn't fall far.....

If it's true that our genes determine a lot about who we are and what we will become, then Rita knows a lot more about us than we might guess.

Her extensive research into our family tree, our ancestry, makes her the keeper of the kingdom.

When I visited with Rita and Don last week-end, I was astonished at the volumes of information she has amassed about all of us and our forbears. Did you know, for example, that a young woman married to a Glenn Simpkins died at her home at the age of just 33 after sustaining a blow to the head -- and that her death was ruled a homicide? Now Glenn seems the likely suspect to me, but Rita hasn't found court papers yet to verify that.

And her latest foray into the Falter family reveals that Grandpa Falter had a sister who was all of 29 years older than he was! We know also that the mild-mannered Shafer side of the family had a not-so-well-kept secret in that Pa Wilson, my great-grandfather and Grandma's grandfather, was born "illegitimate" and that his mother remarried but had several other children born out of wedlock.

Rita can also tell you that we appear to be a family with longevity on our side. With several exceptions, our relatives have lived long lives. And it will probably surprise none of you to know that we don't seem to be related to any famous people nor that we have had an abundance of men named James in the family.

Practically anything you ever wanted to know about our family is on Rita's "Simpkins Family of Ohio" ancestry site, including pictures of many of you, newspaper articles and public records. If you're curious about where you come from and what you might have inherited, give Rita a call. She's got the goods on all of us. Woudn't it be fun if we looked a little something like this?