Hello! I’m Anastasia Finch, a librarian, genealogist and blogger living in Southern California.

So Many Beginnings is my genealogy, family history, and house history website focused on my research on my Minnesota and Pennsylvanian families.

Within its pages you’ll find:

• Notes and narratives on my own family history research.
• Reviews of genealogy books, webinars, and classes.
• Tips and resources for researching your family history.
• Resources, bibliographies, and links to useful sites for family research.
• Informational guides on how to preserve your own family history.
• Interviews with genealogists and research professionals.

Right now I’m heavily researching my mother’s side of the family, with the last names Briner and Vespa. On my father’s side, I have family with the last names Finch/Kwiecinski and Lathrop. I also dabble in my step-father’s family (because why not) with the last names Lathrop (same Lathrops as before? maybe?) and Courville.

Please enjoy your time on this site, and be sure to share with a friend!

If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree. – Michael Crichton