James Curtis & Repsie Rochester Cotten Upchurch

I've been into genealogy since 1979. I got into it to find my father. I was raised an only child by my mom, and maternal grandparents. I was told my dad was dead. However, through genealogical research, I found my assumed father, Edward H. Pegram, in 1979, and knew him 14 months before he died. Thirty five years later, I was astonished to find out that Ed was not my father after all, and that my true paternity was the result of a liaison between my mom and her second husband, Warren L. Lewis. I found out through one of four half siblings through the internet. So one-half of my genealogical tree will need to be corrected. I have no bitterness over this. Instead, I feel that right before my mom's death, she gave me a great gift, that of a new identity and family. Most of the pictures I've uploaded were of my maternal ancestry. Some were that of what I thought was my paternal family. The other pictures are no kin to me, but pictures of other individual persons I found in antique stores. I retired early due to illness, but I've done a lot in my life. I've had many occupations, LPN, Travel Agent, Secretary, and Commercial Writer. Since I've retired, I've rekindled my creativity painting and writing. However, for twenty five years I was caretaker to my grandmother and mother until they passed away.