I've been doing genealogy on the Gurney family since my grandmother Jeanette Emma Gurney told me about James Gurney, Sr., in 2000. She had a very strong resemblance to him with her white hair and blue eyes.

I was lucky enough to make trips to Tower Grove Park and to Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, where James Gurney, Sr., was born, and share my experiences my grandmother before she passed away.

At Tower Grove Park I was thrilled to step back in time to where my ancestors had lived for so many years. Current resident John Karel was gracious enough to let my husband and me tour the house where the three generations of Gurneys lived as Superintendents of Tower Grove Park.

My trip to England was a girls' trip with two friends. We went to Newport Pagnell and had lunch in the tavern at the Swan Inn. It dated back to the 15th century. In the background is the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul, where Thomas Gurney and Mary Funge were married 2 December 1828.