Finding Your Roots, Inc.

“When I was twenty years old, I started to communicate with my great grandmother Nora about our family history....I was so excited! I spent seven years of my life knowing my great grandmother Nora. She would teach me about our family’s Lebanese culture and customs, to cook traditional foods, and also to speak Arabic, I had the best time ever with Sitoo Nora. I had learned so much about who I am! My close relationship with Nora became in essence the true motivation for me to continue forward to pursue the extent of my family history. One should be proud of their ancestry. I am!”

Valerie graduated in the top fourth of the Class of 1978 from Hingham High School. In 1980, she graduated with Associates degree in Liberal Arts. While her college changing from a 2-yr to a 4-yr college, she received her B.A. degree in American Studies, The B.A. Award for Distinction in American Studies, and a Minor degree in Anthropology, with a Certificate in Field School of Historic Archaeology, from Pine Manor College in 1982. Valerie graduated from Simmons Graduate School of Library and In formation Science with her M.L.S. in Library Science/Archival Management in 1987. Her expertise focuses on special interests including Archaeology, Photographic Archives, Cataloging and Classification of Books and Audiovisual Materials, Genealogy and Oral History. For over thirty years, Valerie has documented the genealogy of the ThomQuincy Syrian Bakeryas Family History (The Tannous Family) back to seven generations to Jezzin, Lebanon, the history of Sahara Bakery, and also, the Quincy Syrian Bakery. Her publications include: Quincy Syrian Bakery: Four Generations of Bakers in the Thomas Family (1987), and A Proposal for the Preservation of the Thomas Family Collection: The Quincy Syrian Bakery (1992).

Her article “Do You Own Family Photos?” which was published in Packard’s Progress (Torrance, CA) in 1987, prompted major interest to genealogists in the field to provide appropriate yet adequate means of preserving family histories. By documenting oral history interviews with family members and relatives, and also, preserving photographs and memorabilia, the longevity of one’s family becomes priceless and available for future generations. Without the proper means of preservation, photographs will deteriorate at a faster rate and will be lost forever.