Our ancestors are more than just names in a tree—they’re the roots that hold us up. Their choices shaped the lives we live today, including something as simple and as profound as where we were born. It’s a little wild to think about: the reason I was born in America is because someone—several someones—made the life-changing decision to leave everything behind and start over here. Just as my decisions shaped where my children were born, their decisions shaped me.

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.