November 3 Workshop Report

During our first workshop of the season, we used the round table format to share successes, mention new discoveries and meet new members. It was gratifying to hear many members report that they had used research techniques that we have suggested during previous meetings and workshops! Our new members also had interesting stories and plans for research. A few of the shared stories are listed below.


check home sources such as attics and garages; contact relatives

Anne found two boxes that had been stored in a garage and showed us two fabric reproductions of wedding announcements from newspapers in the early 1900s. Susan was able to scan photographic negatives and reproduce pictures that had been lost. Myron had done further research in Pennsylvania and has a long list of cousins to contact.


visit the old home town

Carolyn was able to break down a long time brick wall by returning to the small towns where her ancestors had lived to use the local libraries and courthouses; she discovered records that had not been placed online. Susan visited the local cemetery and "dug up" information that was not included in Find A Grave.


revisit online resources

Maureen wrote to a Find A Grave connection and received information about a Maryland/Virginia family. Jean had a stack of information about one family line that was new to Find A Grave. Carolyn had received a family tree from a relative and was proving the information using census records.


continue to work on research goals

Trish published the book of her mother's memoirs that was a three-year project. Mike was able to find records about his grandfather's service in World War I. Annie received records that furthered her research about her grandmother in Poland after speaking to a volunteer in Salt Lake City and making a connection with a researcher in Poland. Maureen learned more about the grandmother who had been a "home child."

Genealogy Club Workshop

Tuesday, November 3, is our first workshop of the fall season. We will conduct a round table discussion sharing a genealogy-related activity from the past few months. We hope to see all members who have returned to Palm Creek and will collect $5 dues and issue folders. The library, including books, magazines and folders, will be open for business. Bring a friend or neighbor!

October 28 Webinar

Warren Bittner will be speaking about "Complex Evidence" on Wednesday, October 28. He will explain what this kind of evidence is, how it works and why it matters. Notice that he will use a case study to demonstrate the topic, which is geared toward intermediate and experienced researchers. As usual, register to watch in real time or find out more about Legacy's free webinars at www.familytreewebinars.com.


"A genealogist’s goal is to establish identity and prove relationships; complex evidence is the ONLY way to do this. Follow a case study of clues from multiple sources to solve a problem."

Pinal County Genealogy Workshop

Mark your calendars for January 23, 2016! Planning is in the works for the 13th annual genealogy workshop presented by Pinal County Genealogists. As soon as information appears on their website, it will be posted here. Anyone who has attended in the past will agree that this is a worthwhile way to spend a Saturday.

October 21 Webinar

J. Mark Lowe will be discussing researching early Tennessee records on Wednesday. This presentation is suggested for intermediate level researchers. Register or find more information at www.familytreewebinars.com.


Mr. Lowe lives in Tennessee and his main interest is southern U. S. The webinar's title is "What Happened to the State of Frankland - Using Tennessee's Pre-Statehood Records." He will talk about records (North Carolina and Tennessee) that exist for genealogical research in Tennessee before 1796.

Genealogy Magazines

This summer I picked up a couple of magazines published outside of the U. S. Anyone in the club who is researching specifically in the British Isles or Ireland might be interested in taking a look at them when we begin workshops in November.

Who Do You Think You Are is a monthly magazine published in England. Features in the issue I purchased include articles on death records, understanding gaps in parish records, the best forums and message boards, the Land Registry Digital Archive, and a focus article on researching ancestors who emigrated to the United States.

Irish Roots seems to be a quarterly publication. The issue from the second quarter includes articles on locating living descendants, Irish churches and graveyards, tracing Dublin ancestors, reports from various societies in Ireland, and another on basic Irish research techniques. All of the articles include websites.

Both of the magazines are worth a look. You never know when the website or society discussed might be the one you need!

Family History Month

October has been designated as Family History Month since 2001. Family Tree Magazine's weekly newsletter suggests several ways in which genealogists could celebrate the month, such as writing about an ancestor or family heirloom, attending a class, or making an old family recipe.

Another suggestion: work on one of the goals you had planned for the summer! Most of our club members, including myself, have a list of ideas for family research when we leave Palm Creek. And many times the same list accompanies us back to Arizona.

Palm Creek Genealogy Club workshops will begin the first Tuesday in November. Perhaps we can share a genealogy-related activity that was accomplished in October at that first meeting.

Legacy Webinars

Visit www.familytreewebinars.com to learn about Legacy's weekly webinars: free to watch in real time or for several days following the presentations.


October 7: Thomas MacEntee, always entertaining as a speaker, has titled his Wednesday webinar "Wearables and Genealogy--Wacky and Wild or Worth the Wait." Two items mentioned in the description are Google Glass and Smart Watches. The webinar is for beginner and intermediate researchers.


October 14: Beth Foulk will present "Colonial Immigration--The English Pioneers of Early America." This webinar is for beginning level researchers. Copied below is the summary of the topic.


"Imagine leaving everything you and your family has known for generations for an unexplored, unfamiliar, possibly hostile “New World.” Who were these people of unbounded courage, faith, and resiliency who ultimately laid the foundation for the America as we know it? What stories they must tell! What do the records reveal of their immigration, voyage and settlements in America? We’ll look at what history has left us in passenger records and alternative sources – both primary and secondary – to peel back this riveting portion of our personal and national history."