A Little About Me




A Little About Me

(in case you were wondering...)



My name is Lois Cordova and I am the 2nd grand daughter, and 4th grand child of Paul and Lois McCoy Wagner.

My family and I live in a rural area of far Northern California. We enjoy the Redwoods, beaches, mountains and warm river valleys here. Only my youngest remains in the home with us, my charming and very active 13 year old daughter (whose science project came in 3rd in the County Science Fair by the way and who is an avid volley ball player). My eldest daughter is a college student and mother of little Felix, my grand daughter, born four years ago last June, and Marley, born in November 2008. My son has worked locally in the California Conservation Corps, for a glass recycling company and other odd jobs and is still figuring out what he wants to be when he "grows up". My husband has three children, all grown and working or in collage or both.

I have a double Bachelors degree from Humboldt State University in Anthropology and Native American Studies. I have been employed in a wide array of positions in the past that include Administrative Director for a homeless day services center, Case Manager for families and for survivors of Traumatic Brain Injuries, Family Services Project Management, Archeological Lab Assistant, Black Jack Dealer, Bartender, K-12 Teacher, and I have worked in various capacities among the local Native American communities locally, and in rural economic development studies. I have been an active community member sitting on local boards of directors including the local Workforce Investment Board Youth Council and the Local Child Care Planning Council.

Until the gradually rising gas prices made us think twice before jumping in the car, my family and I spent a lot of time on the local roads, many barely paved or not paved at all, up and down the coast and into the beautiful mountains here. I drive an old red SUV that, no matter how often I clean it, seems perpetually covered with dust or mud, and "always" seems to be littered inside with Coke cans, water bottles, childrens' socks, sand and gravel, and an assortment of pretty rocks and shells. More recently we're taking walks VERY close to home. But since we reside several yards from a Redwood forest, and only a couple of miles from marshes and bay side beaches, we are still privileged to enjoy this beautiful area, just a bit more provincially right now!

I have always asked "family" questions. Over many years I had gathered substantial information about my mother�s family, and met many, many wonderful cousins along the way. About a dozen years ago we compiled our collective information and realized we had quite a treasure, and far too much to horde. With hopes of "meeting" yet more cousins, we are presenting much of it here in these pages. This is by no means at all exclusively "my" research. While I have contributed substantially in many cases the "lead" came from a cousin and sometimes information for whole lines came whole and required virtually no research on my part-what a treat! It has certainly been more fun collaborating in this effort than it ever could have been alone.

I have also set out to research Ed's family and have begun adding that information to our pages. You can learn about his Cordova family here

While my job keeps me busier than I ever imagined a job could, I still find some "spare time for historic and genealogical research for these pages, and I also enjoy bead work, shell work, ribbon applique, embroidery, cross stitching and making mosaics from broken stained glass that would otherwise fill our landfills. Ed and I are avid gardeners (see our garden), growing vegetables, flowers, many cacti and other succulents and herbs both culinary and medicinal. I enjoy reading-mostly historical fiction and mysteries, although most of my reading these days is on rural poverty and homelessness. We listen to all kinds of music and I cannot tell you what my "favorite" is. I did go out of my way to make sure my Mom and I were able to attend a Segovia concert at one point. I think I was equally excited when I had the opportunity to attend a Rolling Stones concert. I have enjoyed the Grateful Dead many times over since childhood. On a Saturday afternoon in our home you might easily hear any of those or Robert Johnson, Miles Davis, or some lively Bluegrass. Our taste is eclectic and the grandchildren know the words to and dance to all of it along with us. I eat virtually anything in my path. Some favorites are salmon, avocados, apples, peaches, and all kinds of nuts. My husband was a chef at one point and serves up awesome meals like his chile verde, seafood gumbo, and other household favorites. I am an avid illustrator and graphic artist and have applied that skill to brochures, posters, web sites, and elementary classroom materials over the years. I am presently working on a children's book and a mosaic for our garden.

It is a combination of my love of history, mysteries, and research, that have made this family history project an utter joy. I hope you see something, either in the material itself, or in the format of the presentation, that may assist you. I hope if you discover you are a cousin, you will get in touch with us. We always love to "meet" "new" family members, and welcome you with open arms. Email Me, Lois Cordova


February 2010

When you are not busy researching our family history, go play Free Rice. Your friends and family will be amazed at your increased vocabulary AND you will help to feed many less fortunate than ourselves. ALWAYS remember how lucky we all are to have food on our tables!!




All Our Relations
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Mauk
Family

Deweese
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Dalrymple
Family

Cordova
Family