Months ago I began putting together a family tree on ancestry.com and surprisingly met distant relatives on my Smith and Wininger sides of the family. But I never expected to find what I found.
Deborah Winegar, a cousin of mine related to me through my grandfather’s sister, found me online and told me all sorts of ancient family drama. She also told me some more interesting things like the fact our Wininger line goes back to the American Revolution and she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
With Deborah’s help, I put together DAR applications for me and my mother who lives in Anderson, Margaret Smith. Quickly I realized that the lack of a birth certificate for my 92-year-old grandfather, our link to the American Revolution, might have trouble proving his lineage despite the fact he is still alive and so is his brother, Anderson resident Charles Wininger.
It took weeks, but finally I located Grandpa Wininger’s marriage certificate from Knox County 60 years ago and it names his parents. Immediately, I contacted the local chapter of DAR in Naples, Fla., where I live, and the group agreed to sponsor my application and my mother’s to become members of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In October, we were notified that DAR’s researchers agreed with our findings that our Wininger line did in fact link us to American Revolution soldier Johannes Winegar, a poor farmer born in Virginia. I am proud to know one of my ancestors helped create our free America. I encourage everyone to rediscover their own family history, no matter what you may find.
Camden Smith
Naples, Fla
