Paternal Grandmother
Verda Waller Hankins
Paternal Grandfather
John William McCauley
Maternal Grandmother
Emma Ewers Taylor
Maternal Grandfather
Elmer Dennis Hopkins
WELCOME TO THE
Documenting the Details
This website features the ancestry of my four grand-parents. John William McCauley and Verda Waller Hankins lived in the western Kentucky counties of Hopkins and Muhlenberg. Elmer Dennis Hopkins and Emma Ewers Taylor lived in Harlan County in eastern Kentucky.
Paternal Family Stories
Maternal Family Stories
McCauley & Hankins Photos
Hopkins & Taylor Photos
Cemetery Photos
Recent Blog Posts
- This Week in the Family History: September 27–October 3, 2026Remembering eight births, eight marriages, and six deaths this week.
- This Week in the Family History: September 20–26, 2026Remembering seven births, three marriages, and nine deaths this week.
- This Week in the Family History: September 13–19, 2026Remembering sixteen births, seven marriages, and seven deaths this week.
DNA Matching
A starting place for those who have an autosomal DNA match to me or other family members whose kits I manage. Information is separated for each of my four grandparents.
Emma: In Her Own Words
Sometime in the 1970s, Emma Ewers Taylor Hopkins, my maternal grandmother, wrote her life story in a spiral notebook. This 12-part series is a transcription of that notebook.
Most Wanted
Find some of the research questions I would most like to answer, one for each grandparent’s family. I continue to work on them, but if you have a clue or two, I’d appreciate any help.