Some stories almost didn’t survive.
In 1998, I sat down with my grandmother to trace our family tree — just something to do together on a Sunday afternoon. I didn't know yet that she was already slipping away. What started as an idle project became something else entirely: a race against silence, a way of saving names and places and people before they were gone for good. She took some of them with her anyway. But not all of them.
That's still why I do this work.
My Maternal Grandmother, Cortez Bullington Flowers — c. 1946
(Original photograph in the possession of Stephanie Pitcher Whittier)
Research & Writing
I offer genealogical research, local history writing, and personal memoir work. Services are currently available on a limited basis — reach out to start a conversation.
My Maternal Grandfather, Lee Roy Flowers — c. 1943
(Original photograph in the possession of Stephanie Pitcher Whittier)
Meet Stephanie
Stephanie Pitcher Whittier has been recovering forgotten stories since 1998. She specializes in Ohio and Georgia research, with a particular love for newspaper records, census records, and the stories behind the photographs and heirlooms families can't quite let go of.
She understands that family history doesn't always lead somewhere comfortable. With paternal and maternal lines on opposite sides of the Civil War and the abolition movement, she has learned firsthand how to navigate complicated, sometimes painful histories — and how to hold them with honesty and care.
She believes ordinary lives are worth finding. Forgotten people are her passion. They always have been.
Every story starts somewhere.
Maybe it's a name you've always wondered about. A photograph with no label on the back. A family secret someone mentioned once and never explained. Whatever brought you here, I'd love to hear about it. Reach out using the form below.