Patricia A. Hines, a writer and researcher, caught the genealogy bug several years ago when she started delving into her family history on a whim. Starting with her immediate family of five, her tree has grown to include more than 2,400 people (some as far back as the 18th century Italy) – and still growing. She spent nearly 30 years in the newspaper business, 25 of them as the editor of the Fairfield Citizen, a weekly newspaper in Fairfield, Connecticut. Her experience as a newspaperwoman, both as a reporter and editor, honed her research and writing skills, and provided the foundation for her journey into genealogy. The maternal side of her family is a member of the American Immigrant Wall of Honor of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.