The Gems of Ginny

Genealogies only show that they were born, married, parented children, and died, but very little is recorded on how they lived, what they thought about, whether they walked with the Lord, what their problems were, and how they faced them.Virginia Dean Gordon Ballard, a prominent and popular Arizonan, decided to break that genealogical cycle. She researched her family's history as thoroughly as possible so that her family tree could be decorated with everything from anecdotes to traditions to family jokes. Starting with the migration of her ancestors from Europe in the 1700s and ending with her very own children and grandchildren, Virginia (Ginny) researched, compiled, and wrote something unique to the world of genealogy-a genealogical memoir.She detailed the hardships of her family's emigration, their travels across the US, and their eventual arrival in Arizona in the twentieth century. She included historical events related to three wars on American soil, the challenges of growing up in the desert region during the Depression, and her own involvement in the political scene of the 1950s. Ginny knew there was more to a family than its marriages, births, and deaths, and she wanted to make sure that her family's rich history would be available to read, learn from and add to for generations to come.

Ginny knew there was more to a family man its marriages, births, and deaths, and she wanted to make sure that her family's rich history Would be available to read learn from and add to for generations to come.