About Me | The HARBERT Family of Harrison County, West Virginia

Personal Information...

WELCOME!

My name is Brian C. Harbert and my wife is Alice (our dog Rufus is pictured with us above). I'm now retired and in my mid-60's. Our children are all grown and we now have 3 wonderful grandchildren!

Although many view 2020 as a "bad" year with the COVID-19 epidemic and all, my wife and I feel we have been blessed beyond measure. Although it has been a challenge, we feel as though things couldn't be any better! We've been able to spend a lot of time with our grandchildren the past several months - something that probably wouldn't have happened had it not been for this Covid-19 epidemic changing our world. In June we sold the home we had on the market for a year (and had lived in for over 40 years and raised our three children in) and will soon be moving into a log cabin in the mountains of Virginia. It's located on a creek with both a large front and back porch which overlooks the creek. We're excited to move into it, get it renovated, and see what God has planned for us in this new chapter of our lives.

Our new home doesn't close till mid-October, so we took advantage of the time off and took an extended month-long trip out West to Wyoming. We had a wonderful time and it was great to reconnect with my wife of over 41 years - no itinerary, no deadlines, no limits… no problem! It was the honeymoon we never had!

Hobbies & Interests...

In addition to my obsession with GENEALOGY, my interests include: music, photography, hiking, camping, travel and horticulture.

Out of necessity (and because I've always had more disposable time than money) I've learned to enjoy home renovation, having taken on a major renovation of both our kitchen and bathroom, including building the custom cabinets and installing a walk-in shower with travertine tile. Although quite pleased with the results, I could never make a living at it. I'm not quick enough, and too much of a perfectionist. You learn a lot about yourself taking on such projects.

My Interest in Genealogy...

My interest in genealogy was kindled by the work begun by my grandfather, Hallie Lafayette Harbert who wrote a booklet entitled: "History of the Descendants of Noah J. Harbert"... his grandfather. I am indebted to many upon whose work I have relied in addition to my grandfather. Having begun with the information in my grandfather's work, I began "surfing the web" and stumbled upon several very helpful sites. One of the most informative was Dick Harbert's "Harbert Family Home Page" (no longer available online). The State of West Virginia has a great website... "West Virginia Division of Culture and History" which not only has a wealth of information on West Virginia State History, but also has a searchable archive of marriage, birth and death records online for Harrison and many other counties. I purchased Ancestry.com's software "Family Tree Maker" and began entering data... I keep hoping I'll get finished at some point, but as of this time, I see no end in sight!

While we can learn a great deal in studying the lives, trials, hardships and successes of those who have lived before us, we are admonished by God's Word not to make it our primary concern in life! I think 1 Timothy 1:4 probably states it the best and helps me keep genealogy in a proper perspective...

“You needed to warn them to stop wasting their time on senseless stories and endless lists of ancestors, such things only cause arguments. They don’t help anyone to do God’s work than can only be done by faith...
“1 Timothy 1:4

My Greatest Genealogical Find...

If we follow our “roots” back far enough we come to the first man... ADAM. We have a lot to thank him for, and a lot to blame him for. Romans 5:12 states sin and death entered the world through Adam. However, my greatest find was my Jewish roots. No, I’m not speaking of the physical, but of the spiritual realm. in 1 Corinthians 15:45 Jesus is referred to as the last Adam who became a life-giving spirit. While I may be proud of my many famous Welsh HERBERT ancestors, I realize I really had nothing to do with it. None of us has a choice of what earthly family we’re born into, but we do have a choice about our spiritual connections.

Matthew 13:45-46 states the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls... when he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it. Jesus is that Pearl of Great Price. As Co-Creator of the Universe - He is the Source of all. And what is truly amazing is the fact that He chose to leave the glories of heaven to come into this decadent world... a world of individuals who despised and eventually crucified Him. He came to prove His love for them by shedding His own blood, and paying the penalty for their transgressions. He willingly suffered death by crucifixion so that He could have a relationship with us... This truth is revealed in the following verses...

“... as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people... I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord"

2 Corinthians 6:16,18

If you don’t already have a personal relationship with Jesus, my prayer is that you’ll come to know Him. As your creator and savior He’s waiting for you to ask him into your life. Make the spiritual family connection to the God and Father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Jesus.

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Our Trip out West - August 2020

Here's a few photos of our trip out West this past August. We love to travel, and primitive camping is one of the best ways to really get a feel for the place.

I tried something very novel and out of character for me. Unlike all my other major vacations and trips, this one was different. Other than the major destination being the state of Wyoming (my favorite) we had no plans, no itinerary, no deadlines, and no expectations. It was glorious!

We headed north and spent a few days with my cousin up in the Cleveland area where I was born and spent the first 16 years of my life, then continued north up into Michigan before heading west. We then went through Wisconsin, Minnesota and North & South Dakota before we finally made it to Wyoming. We have a beautiful country with a lot of beautiful people.

Hope you enjoy…

Downtown Cleveland - The Cuyahoga River at "The Flats" at night
Downtown Cleveland - The Cuyahoga River at "The Flats" at night
Downtown Cleveland - The Cuyahoga River at "The Flats" at night

Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Keweenaw Peninsula - Lake Superior
Keweenaw Peninsula - Lake Superior
Keweenaw Peninsula - Lake Superior
Our dog Rufus - overlooking Lake Superior on Keweenaw Peninsula
Our dog Rufus - overlooking Lake Superior on Keweenaw Peninsula

[Recreated] Mandan [Numakiki] (native American) Indian Village at Abraham Lincoln State Park
[Recreated] Mandan [Numakiki] (native American) Indian Village at Abraham Lincoln State Park
[Recreated] Mandan [Numakiki] (native American) Indian Village at Abraham Lincoln State Park
[Recreated] Mandan [Numakiki] (native American) Indian Village at Abraham Lincoln State Park
Sacred Numakiki Council Building
Sunflower