As I sift through old records and fragile pages, I often feel like I’m chasing echoes—traces of lives that still ripple through mine. This time, the trail led me to my paternal 2nd great-grandparents, Hugh and Anna (McFarland) Kerr—two brave souls who left Ireland behind for a new life in America.

The stories of our ancestors often carry threads of resilience, love, and the quiet strength that builds generations. One of those stories belongs to my 2nd great-grandfather, Hugh Kerr, a man whose journey from Northern Ireland to western New York has left a lasting mark on my family tree.