Discovering the Untold Stories of Our Ancestors

Karla spent her formative years just outside Oakwood, where she lived in a captivating historic house constructed by Abraham Illk in the 1800s, surrounded by family and the ancestral land that their great-grandparents had devotedly nurtured for generations. As a proud member of the Daughters of the American Colonists and the Daughters of the American Revolution, she carries forward a vibrant legacy of heritage and culture that ignites her profound passion for delving into history and unearthing the stories that weave her connection to the past. Furthermore, Karla’s lineage includes ancestors who journeyed to the United States through Ellis Island in the 1900s, striving for a better life. On her maternal grandmother’s side, her forebears arrived in the US and settled in the area, seeking opportunities in the coal mines, determined to forge a brighter future than the one they had left behind in Italy. She started exploring family history in the 80s and has collected stories through the years.