He has a puzzle-like fascination with genealogy

James Winston is president of the Baytown Genealogy Society.

“I had a fascination with Egypt, so I took a course in Egyptology. I learned to read hieroglyphs. Then I had a fascination with bagpipes, so I took lessons and learned to play them. I marched in nearly every parade in St. Louis and all those little coal towns in Illinois. Every weekend in the summer, we were marching and playing.

“One day, I asked the pastor why we have these inklings or desires to do something or why we dream about certain things. He said, we don’t really know what’s in the mind. We don’t know what genes are passed down. Well, according to my genealogy, there were pharaohs in the background. I also have Scottish in the background. So who knows. But it’s interesting to theorize.

“I have been fascinated by genealogy for more than 40 years. It’s like a puzzle, trying to put together the details of your family history. I like puzzles, especially the ones with tiny pieces where they’re all the same color. Like genealogy, it’s just a challenge, and it’s something you can do by yourself. I devote a lot of time to it.”

— James Winston