The HARBERT Family of Harrison County, West Virginia

My interest in genealogy was kindled by the work began by my grandfather, Hallie Lafayette Harbert who wrote a booklet entitled: "History of the Descendants of Noah J. Harbert"... his grandfather. I am endebted 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." 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...

        If we follow our "roots" back far enough we come to the first man... ADAM. We have a lot to thank him for, and alot 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 about 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 Almighty.                                                                                                                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...