The Kfeirian Family Tree started on a small piece of paper in 1982 and grew to a handwritten poster by 1993. Today the online tree holds almost 6,000 members.
An Interview with Kevin Donley Kfeirian Genealogist
In July, 2021, Sherry Mickel Parrish and Denise Mickel Russell conducted an interview with Kevin Donley, our Kfeirian Reunion Genealogist. Kevin graciously has shared his passion for family history with us for years.
Sherry: We are very grateful for spending some time with us and want to know a little more about you and what we can learn from studying family genealogy. So let’s get started.
How did you become interested in doing genealogy work as someone who had never done it before and what inspired you to get started?
Kevin: First, thanks for taking the time to chat about one of my favorite topics and an important one for everybody in the Kfeirian family - our roots. I first became interested in the hobby when the Boy Scouts created a new merit badge named “Genealogy" in 1973. The genealogy counselor inspired me with his own stories and family tree. A few years later the TV series “Roots” aired and I was hooked. I would send away for a family record and wait anxiously for 6-8 weeks for it to arrive. It was so exciting opening the envelope and seeing a document which revealed my family history. I then attended the 50th Kfeirian Reunion in 1982 with my mom and grandfather and I was in awe to be surrounded by hundreds of cousins. At that reunion I started a family tree on a small piece of paper and interviewed several Kfeirians. I would go on to attend the next 26 reunions in a row and that tree grew from that paper, to a poster, to various trees, to a giant tree on the wall and eventually to an online tree. Today’s Kfeirian tree has almost 6,000 members.
Denise: In general, what have you learned in your study of the people of Kfeir?
Kevin: The most fascinating discovery is something I’ve been told all along - that we are all related. I remember when I was younger I would tell people about the size of our amazing reunion but I would always caveat it by saying it's not one family, but instead it's a reunion of a village. However, as more and more Kfeirians get their DNA tested, we're finding that most of us are related to an original group of people several generations back. This makes the gatherings at the reunion that much more special as we are all indeed cousins.
Denise: How connected are the families of Kfeir and their descendants?
Kevin: Very closely connected. At each reunion I meet 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th cousins and beyond. Denise, you and I have always known we are 2nd cousins, however it was thrilling to learn that we’re related to many, many others like George Hanna, who turns out to be is a relatively close cousin. For each person that gets tested, Ancestry provides them with 30,000+ matches to people so it’s only a matter of time that we’ll be able to connect everyone.
Sherry: Were there any surprises that you discovered in your research?
Kevin: Probably the biggest surprise is when we meet a new Kfeirian family member that we didn’t know existed as a result of adoption or other situation. We’ve met many new cousins and are happy to welcome them to the family.
Sherry: What advice would you give someone who wants to start collecting their own family history and what tools would you suggest they use?
Kevin: Probably the most important first step is to talk with our parents and grandparents. Write down their stories because no record out there contains these precious details. Building our Kfeirian family tree is challenging since most of the records were lost in the wars; the surviving ones are written in Arabic; the women were often removed from a tree when they married; and the genealogy companies haven’t scanned many records from the Middle East. It will get easier as technology evolves, however, in the meantime, start your own family tree. I recommend Ancestry.com as it’s the largest database available. FamilySearch.org is also very helpful.
Denise: Have there been any moments in your research and work that have been really significant to you personally?
Kevin: I did my wife’s family tree and discovered she is the 15th-great-granddaughter of the famous conquistador, Juan Ponce de Leon. As a result, we were on a PBS show called “Genealogy Roadshow” which you can view by going to PBSLearningMedia.org and searching for “Genealogy Roadshow.” There are dozens of moments in my Kfeirian adventure that come to mind. One time during the reunion I left to visit the Sunset Memorial cemetery in South Charleston, WV to find my great-grandfather’s grave. I searched for a half hour with no luck and then it started to rain. Just as I gave up and started walking away, I stepped on something hard and it was a tombstone that was completely covered in grass. It was him! Genealogy provides hundreds of rewarding experiences like this one.
Sherry: Thank you for your time and expertise as our Kfeirian Reunion Genealogist. One thing for sure that we have learned from you is that we are all cousins!
In July, 2021, Sherry Mickel Parrish and Denise Mickel Russell conducted an interview with Kevin Donley, our Kfeirian Reunion Genealogist. Kevin graciously has shared his passion for family history with us for years.
Sherry: We are very grateful for spending some time with us and want to know a little more about you and what we can learn from studying family genealogy. So let’s get started.
How did you become interested in doing genealogy work as someone who had never done it before and what inspired you to get started?
Kevin: First, thanks for taking the time to chat about one of my favorite topics and an important one for everybody in the Kfeirian family - our roots. I first became interested in the hobby when the Boy Scouts created a new merit badge named “Genealogy" in 1973. The genealogy counselor inspired me with his own stories and family tree. A few years later the TV series “Roots” aired and I was hooked. I would send away for a family record and wait anxiously for 6-8 weeks for it to arrive. It was so exciting opening the envelope and seeing a document which revealed my family history. I then attended the 50th Kfeirian Reunion in 1982 with my mom and grandfather and I was in awe to be surrounded by hundreds of cousins. At that reunion I started a family tree on a small piece of paper and interviewed several Kfeirians. I would go on to attend the next 26 reunions in a row and that tree grew from that paper, to a poster, to various trees, to a giant tree on the wall and eventually to an online tree. Today’s Kfeirian tree has almost 6,000 members.
Denise: In general, what have you learned in your study of the people of Kfeir?
Kevin: The most fascinating discovery is something I’ve been told all along - that we are all related. I remember when I was younger I would tell people about the size of our amazing reunion but I would always caveat it by saying it's not one family, but instead it's a reunion of a village. However, as more and more Kfeirians get their DNA tested, we're finding that most of us are related to an original group of people several generations back. This makes the gatherings at the reunion that much more special as we are all indeed cousins.
Denise: How connected are the families of Kfeir and their descendants?
Kevin: Very closely connected. At each reunion I meet 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th cousins and beyond. Denise, you and I have always known we are 2nd cousins, however it was thrilling to learn that we’re related to many, many others like George Hanna, who turns out to be is a relatively close cousin. For each person that gets tested, Ancestry provides them with 30,000+ matches to people so it’s only a matter of time that we’ll be able to connect everyone.
Sherry: Were there any surprises that you discovered in your research?
Kevin: Probably the biggest surprise is when we meet a new Kfeirian family member that we didn’t know existed as a result of adoption or other situation. We’ve met many new cousins and are happy to welcome them to the family.
Sherry: What advice would you give someone who wants to start collecting their own family history and what tools would you suggest they use?
Kevin: Probably the most important first step is to talk with our parents and grandparents. Write down their stories because no record out there contains these precious details. Building our Kfeirian family tree is challenging since most of the records were lost in the wars; the surviving ones are written in Arabic; the women were often removed from a tree when they married; and the genealogy companies haven’t scanned many records from the Middle East. It will get easier as technology evolves, however, in the meantime, start your own family tree. I recommend Ancestry.com as it’s the largest database available. FamilySearch.org is also very helpful.
Denise: Have there been any moments in your research and work that have been really significant to you personally?
Kevin: I did my wife’s family tree and discovered she is the 15th-great-granddaughter of the famous conquistador, Juan Ponce de Leon. As a result, we were on a PBS show called “Genealogy Roadshow” which you can view by going to PBSLearningMedia.org and searching for “Genealogy Roadshow.” There are dozens of moments in my Kfeirian adventure that come to mind. One time during the reunion I left to visit the Sunset Memorial cemetery in South Charleston, WV to find my great-grandfather’s grave. I searched for a half hour with no luck and then it started to rain. Just as I gave up and started walking away, I stepped on something hard and it was a tombstone that was completely covered in grass. It was him! Genealogy provides hundreds of rewarding experiences like this one.
Sherry: Thank you for your time and expertise as our Kfeirian Reunion Genealogist. One thing for sure that we have learned from you is that we are all cousins!
Kevin and Monica Donley on PBS’s
Genealogy Roadshow television program in 2013.