Discovering Our Roots

About the Book

This book is a series of short stories about hundreds of ancestors of Bryan and Haynes-Beaird, dating back, in some cases, to the Middle Ages and before. Many were kings and queens, military heroes, religious leaders, famous explorers, inventors, political leaders, pirates, pioneers, farmers, and housewives . . . all of whom helped shape the history of our country and our world. They represent over fifty generations of courageous, hardworking grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who played a significant role in creating a brighter future for generations to come. Many immigrated to America for religious freedom or to carve out a better life for their families. Some even came involuntarily. Regardless of their circumstances, each of them overcame tremendous hardships and challenges in order to begin a new life. It is because of these brave and resilient ancestors that we, their descendants, are able to enjoy the freedoms and privileges of being American.

About the Author

Linda Bryan Johnston is a descendant of Bryan and Haynes-Beaird and has spent almost two decades researching her family history. With the generous help of relatives, both close and distant, as well as untold documents and written records, she has been able to piece together this fascinating series of stories about hundreds of her ancestors. For seventeen years, Linda was a teacher, reading specialist, and an elementary principal. She spent the last seventeen years of her career as the executive director of a national nonprofit parent education/support program where she wrote numerous parenting books, as well as a weekly parenting column for a metropolitan newspaper. Linda and her husband live in Colorado and are the parents of five children and grandparents of eleven grandchildren.