Upcoming Genealogy Club Programs—Join Us!

Denise Beeson

The Genealogy Club meets in the Palm Room on the second Monday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon. All PebbleCreek (PC) residents interested in genealogy are welcome to join us. A speaker will present from 10 to 11 a.m. Special interest groups (SIGs) will meet from 9 to 10 a.m., prior to the speaker and 11 a.m. to noon after the speaker.

Thank you to Thomas Drummond for his interesting presentation on the Mayflower Society (General Society of Mayflower Descendants, or GSMD). He has been researching ancestry and genealogy since 2010 and is a member of GSMD and SAR. Thomas and his wife Paula have just published their book, BURIED TREASURES II, The Real-Life Amazing Story of My Remarkable Family. Their book is for sale as an ebook on Kindle and is priced at $7.99.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming programs!

Getting Started with Family History Research: Tips for Beginners

Monday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m.

Have you thought about tracing your family’s history but don’t know where to begin? Speaker Duane Roen will share some readily available resources, tools, and strategies for getting started with researching your roots. This presentation is designed for those who have little or no experience in researching family history.

Duane Roen has been tracing his roots since his teenage years, building a database with more than 32,000 ancestors. He and his wife, Maureen Roen, have also been recording their family history since 1978. Combining his professional and personal interests, Duane worked with colleagues to establish courses on writing and recording family history at Arizona State University. He also is founding coordinator of the Project for Writing and Recording Family History in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU.

Family History: One Branch at a Time

Monday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m.

Join speaker Kathleen Ackerman as we discuss some beginning research tips and techniques. Access to records has never been easier. Come find out how to use online resources to find and document the branches of your family tree.

Kathleen Ackerman’s interest in family history work began around 2002 when she lived in Maryland. She realized that one branch of her family had lived in New Jersey prior to 1800, and she wanted to learn more about them. However, with four young children at home, she found very little time to pursue her newfound interest.

Kathleen has since started her own genealogy business and received a Bachelor of General Studies: Family History degree from Brigham Young University in April 2012. In June of 2022, she finished her master’s thesis through the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Her specialties are English and Scottish research and paleography.

Kathleen’s volunteer activities include serving as director of the Cave Creek Family History Center and as a board member for the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History.

Special Interest Groups

The Genealogy Club has recently established special interest groups to assist our members with their research areas. The following are the SIGs and their hosts. You can contact them via email if you are interested in learning about their meetings.

* Beginning Genealogist SIG. Host: Barbara Downey, [email protected]

* DNA SIG. Host: Kevin Campbell, [email protected]

* Eastern European SIG, including Germany, Poland, and Ukraine. Hosts: Bryon and Kathy Koch, [email protected]

* Colonial America SIG. Host: Marilyn Kinnie, [email protected]

* Genealogy Book Creation SIG, and software support. Host: Rick Sothen, [email protected]

* French Canadian SIG. Host: Chris Pelikan, [email protected]. French Canadian genealogy; however, general information about researching Canadian Archives is shared.

* Scotland SIG. Host: Erik Riswick. This new SIG to be organized in fall 2022. More information to follow.

Other SIGs will be created as needed.

PC genealogy nametags are available for order to purchase for $5.50 at the meeting. Pick up orders placed at the upcoming meeting. Contact Judy Husk at [email protected] to place your order!

See us on facebook: facebook.com/PebbleCreekGenealogyClub.

Genealogy classes will be offered by LifeLong Learning starting this fall. Watch for the announcement of classes.