Branches of the Bay

Meet the Authors

Hi! How are you? First, we’d like to thank you for stopping by. We hope you’ll bookmark our site and visit often. There is always something going on here, even if it’s just the arrival of a new book!

Now, about us, the authors. We’re a group of girls that got together through genealogy. We are all members of the Upper Shore Genealogical Society of Maryland. Most important, we discovered that each of us wanted more ‘in print’ to help other genealogists research. So, we have banded together and continue to work very hard to make that possible. Our books are all full size with ‘easy to read’ print and every book on the shelf is in stock ALL of the time! Our goal is to provide complete information; cover as much information or as many years as possible in each volume while making it affordable at the same time. Please take note that all of our book prices are what you pay! No extra shipping and handling charges to add on!

We live in the areas that we work in which gives us personal knowledge of the land, creeks, streams and rivers and the landmarks mentioned in the records we transcribe.

So please feel free to compare value, prices, quantities and services

(should you be able to find the same information anywhere else)

then let us know what you think!

We think you’ll love it here.

Irma Harper, also a lifelong resident of Talbot County. That is about to change since she has just purchased a new house and will be moving, but she’s not leaving the shore. She’s just moving to the next county. Whew! Irma began researching about forty five years ago and has served in just about every office there is for the Upper Shore Genealogical Society. Irma worked in accounting during her career, raised three daughters, was involved in gardening, and all kinds of crafting. Along with holding public office for the town of St. Michaels, she was the founder and first curator for the St. Mary’s Square Museum. She continues to entertain and educate as she speaks to many local groups on the shore’s genealogy and history. Irma was a co-recipient of the Talbot County Historical Society’s first ‘Heritage Award’ honoring her for her accomplishments. Irma has been dedicated to publishing the records of the Upper Shore for a long time and continues to do so.

Trish Surles, lives on the ‘other side’ of the Bay, but her Eastern Shore ancestry has created her intense interest and love in genealogical research, publishing, and ‘the shore’. In pursuing her own family history, Trish has become the First Lady of Queen Anne’s county. I don’t think there is a record she hasn’t combed or a newspaper she hasn’t read that concerns Queen Anne. Her first publication was Clough’s Chance, an in depth family history which includes every detail that could be found. Once completed, she then turned to the newspapers of Queen Anne. She’s published an entire series including the obituaries and marriages extracted from the newspapers. Her need to ‘know it all‘ is evident in each of her many publications. Trish is currently serving on the Advisory Board for the Maryland Archives where she also volunteers, and is a long time member Upper Shore Genealogical Society. Trish is married and has one daughter. She has become the family ‘matriarch’ who is always busy planning family gatherings, and big ones at that! Her hobbies also reflect her love of family history. Trish collects mourning jewelry which she wears faithfully, collects and displays family photographs, and has recently begun collecting postcards depicting life of the Chesapeake Bay area. As we speak, Trish is most likely at her computer accompanied by at least one of her adopted cats.

Cindy Schmidt, hi! That’s me. Born and raised in Talbot County, I’m married with three children and a grandmother of two. Not only am I busy cooking for the gang, but have an array of animals that are always hungry. Among them, my Dominic chickens, a white goose named Gertie, Black Welsh Mountain sheep we call Phil and Lil and Sophie the black lab whose always at my feet. Having retired just before the birth of my youngest from ice skating and an office job, I found I needed something to keep me busy after everyone was in bed. I’m the night owl of the group. I love decorating, crafts, sewing, and gardening but decided to get back into my family history. My grandmother introduced me to genealogy when I was about 13 years old as she began the pursuit of our ancestry. My grandfather sparked my interest in local history and the lives of our ancestors as he would tell me stories of his boyhood and what ‘used to be’. I promised them both I would continue. So in their honor, I decided to publish ‘Forget Me Not’ books to make it easier for everyone to research their family. I’m a member and officer of the Upper Shore Genealogical Society, the local Archeological Society, and have sponsored the USGenWeb websites for Talbot, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties since 1996 when that project began. Now, I can’t imagine life without genealogy and the wonderful friends I’ve met chasing my ancestors.

Much of my husband’s family is from Whitley and McCreary counties in Kentucky so I’ve expanded my publications to help researchers of that area. A very different history from the Eastern Shore of Maryland but oh so interesting! Always something new to learn as I follow their migrations.

Janice Worley, one of those wonderful friends (and relative!) found through genealogy. Janice was born and raised in McCreary County, Kentucky. She studied archeology and received her BA from Indiana University. Since retiring in 1997 from her District Managers position with C&M Smith Company, Janice researches full time, when she’s not gardening or pursuing her passion for photography. Our paths crossed as I was working on my husbands’ family in Kentucky and Janice was researching her ancestry in Queen Anne’s County in Maryland. It didn’t take us long to figure out we were cousins – a small world! Janice has now been researching her families for 40 years and has helped many others along the way. After not being able to find books for the records we needed to trace our ancestry she decided to take it upon herself to publish that information for others! Janice is a member of the Upper Shore Genealogical Society of Maryland, the Scott County, Indiana Genealogical Society and the Washington County, Indiana Genealogical Society.