The Purpose of This Site:
The purpose of this site is for our family members to learn about their ancestors. On this site, you will find many old photos and many old memories.

Memories or our ancestors:
It is unfortunate that we can only trace our family memories a few decades back. It would have been great to have a written record of the life and times written by my Grandparents (Schultz and Castillo) and Great-Grandparents (Schultz, Castillo, VilleMonte, and Lyon). Since it is too late for that — our best starting point is the memories of the stories told of those elders still with us. I invite all of my relatives in my parent’s generation to email me their memories of family stories told to them by their parents and grandparents while growing up. I will publish these stories to this web site. For right now, I would like to stick with the side of your family related to the side of my family.

Suggestion: Please use Word to type your memory so you can spell and grammar check. Please allow Word to format your paragraphs — in other words please do not use your enter key at the end of each line as I have to go through and take them back out. Unlike a typewriter's Carriage-Return/Line-Feed key — you only use the Enter key to start a new paragraph.

Old Family Photos:
Check out the 100s of old family photos published so far. I have categorized them in albums by the person who has submitted them. I still have about 500 old photos left to scan and retouch — so check back often.

Your Family Tree:
I have acquired Family Tree software that will allow me to post to the Internet. At this point, I am starting to collect information. My mother has given me the Lyon Family Tree from my (and sibling’s) kids back to the 1600s. I need Family Tree information on the VilleMontes, Castillos, and Schultz’s. I would welcome any diagrams of my relative’s Trees that include Names, date and place of birth and marriage; and names of parents, children and spouse with dates and places. The great thing about this software is that a family member will be able to view his own tree from information collected from others. When I get somewhat caught up — I will send the data file to those computer users wanting to work on their family branch’s direction. They can send their data file back to me and it can be merge it with mine to increase the size of the tree. In other words my tree can be the starting point (1/2 the information) for my cousins, second cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws to update with their relatives from the other side of their family. Then we will merge all of the trees for the “Mother of All Family Trees” (sorry, I was carried away). The complete family tree can then be uploaded to the Internet (password protected!) so you will be able to click on any member (or yourself) and view ancestors and descendants. This software allows for a photo, Dates, names and places of birth, death, marriages, baptism, communion, confirmation, parents, children, siblings, etc. Let us start with you sending me that information on you (unless you are a Lyon — in which case I may have it already).

When Finished:
Well we’ll never be finished (unless there’s a nuclear war or accident) — but when I get this caught up I will make all information (memories, photos, family trees) available on a set of CD-ROMs or book form for family members, to share with our future generations the information we are currently missing.

Finally:
I implore any family member who feels that passing this information down to our descendants worthwhile to help. Get involved! Show this site to your family who come to visit. Email this link to family you email. Send a postcard with this site’s (everyone knows someone that has Internet access) address to the rest of your family. I have learned more about my ancestors in the few months I spent starting this site than I had in the previous 50 years. I find these photos and stories very interesting and hope others do also. Very few of my family (none of my kids, brothers, sisters, cousins) have said anything (good or bad) about this information. If you feel like I am wasting my time — let me know.