Ancestry can be fascinating and surprising.

My family roots are in Ireland, Scotland, and England. Ivy Murray and Clifford Sterling came to America many generations ago. The British looked down on the Irish, and the Sterling family was no exception. So when Ivy and Clifford fell in love, they thought the only place they could be together was in America. They eloped and bought passage on a ship for Savannah.

In this new world, the old rules didn't apply, and hope and optimism abounded.

Their love, faith in God, and hard work were the foundation of their new life. It was a love that had crossed an ocean and defied the disapproval of those they left behind. In the heart of Georgia, they built a family and a future, and a long, resilient lineage. The name Ivy and Sterling pays homage to my ancestors and all those who follow crazy love.