Introduction
I became interested in genealogy over forty years ago. Since then I have done quite a bit of research on my ancestors and those of my wife. This site is my attempt to pass on some of what I learned about my Grier ancestors to my siblings, my cousins, and anyone else who might be interested.
Because this site is accessible to anyone on the Internet, it has no mention of any living people other than myself. The “About Me” section has some information about me and my interest in family history.
Although this site is called “The Grier Family”, my intention is to include some ancestors of my Grier grandparents from other families: the Browns, Cranes, Watsons, Boileaus, Halseys, Wescotts, Brownes, and more.
Tom Lathrop
Early Griers in Ireland and Pennsylvania
The Griers were Scotch-Irish. This page explains what that means and gives a brief history of the first few generations of our Grier family in America.
Lemuel Grier and the Grier School
My great-great grandfather Lemuel Grier was an educator. He established what became the Grier School, in the Appalachian mountains in central-western Pennsylvania. This page has the story of Lemuel and the school.
Dr. Edgar and Fanny (Crane) Grier
This page talks about the lives of my great-grandparents, Dr. Edgar B. Grier and his wife Fanny (Crane) Grier.
Edgar and Isabel (Brown) Grier
This page tells the story of my grandparents, Edgar B. Grier Jr and his wife Isabel Halsey Grier (a.k.a. “Dowie”), with photos from their lives.
The Brown Family
The father of Isabel Halsey Grier, the wife of Edgar B. Grier Jr, was Edgar Hurst Brown. This page tells the story of his ancestors, the Brown family.
Runks and Rockefellers
The mother of Isabel Halsey Grier, the wife of Edgar B. Grier Jr, was Sarah (Runk) Brown. This page tells the story of her ancestors, the Runk family, as well as a bit about another family that married into the Runks in the early 1700s, the Rockefellers.
Family Stories
I have found some interesting family stories, which are on this page.
Some Interesting Ancestors
Many of our ancestors were farmers who lived ordinary lives. However, some were unusually interesting for one reason or another. This page has some of them.
Notable Kin
In my research I have found that we are distantly related to some well-known people, including several U.S. Presidents. This page has the details.
Places to Visit
This page has some suggested places to visit that have some connection with our family.