Let Me Introduce You To … Joy Neighbors

Hello!
My name is Joy Neighbors and I have recently joined the Genealogists.com team
as their Social Media Manager. Basically that means I get to do cool stuff like
talking with you about your family history, interests and roadblocks. I’ll also
share the latest genealogy tips and tricks on our social media platforms,
including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Plus, I’ll research and write articles
for our twice-weekly blog posts. Blogging is something that I’m an old hand at;
I’ve written the cemetery blog, A Grave Interest for five years. 

Yes,
I am an avowed “Tombstone Tourist,” one of those people who loves to wander
cemeteries. (Good thing – on one of our first dates my husband took me to a
cemetery for a picnic. I decided then he was a keeper.) To me ambling through a
cemetery is like visiting an art museum, it’s an opportunity to enjoy rarely
appreciated sculpture, intricate carvings and amazing architecture in a
tranquil outdoor setting. And on my cemetery jaunts, I usually find something intriguing:
a mystery, a touching story or an incredibly beautiful stone that I just want
to share.

I
became involved in genealogy about ten years ago when I started “name
gathering.” Since then I’ve gotten serious about it and discovered some pretty
interesting things along the way: I come from a long line of Hoosier farmers, eight
generations so far. I’ve found a female ancestor who is credited with helping
bring the Cumberland Presbyterian religion across the Appalachian Mountains. I
also have a Revolutionary War soldier who traveled with Daniel Boone before
being murdered at a salt lick. And speaking of murder, my 4th great
grandfather shot his wife before killing himself. WOW! Talk about mystery and
intrigue – who needs reality TV when you have family history to explore!

But
I don’t live by cemeteries and genealogy alone, I also have a passion for wine,
having worked in the wine industry as a winery owner, marketing director and
occasional wine judge for 15 years. (My favorite? A dark and brooding oaky
Merlot.) And when I want to leave the past behind and be “in the moment,” I perform
by doing with voice-overs, theatre acting and Improv comedy.