Have you ever wondered where Grandpa Tom was born; when Great-Grandpa Patrick came to America; how to research who Aunt Tilly married; or where Uncle Homer settled? Most importantly what to do with that box of old photos and letters you’ve been storing for 30 years and are afraid to throw away but can’t identify anyone. Well, we can help you find the answers! The SaddleBrooke Genealogy Club meets the first Thursday of each month in the Coyote Room of the HOA 1 Clubhouse from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Membership is open to anyone having a current membership card from SBHOA 1 or SBHOA 2. We share experiences, skills and tools among members, gain knowledge from invited professional speakers and offer guidance in finding resource materials via computer programs and the internet. A resource library on-site is open during meetings from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. We might even learn something helpful from you. You can find out more about us by going to http://sb-genealogy.org./index.html.
At our monthly meeting on December 1 we had a very informative guest speaker, Michelle Goodrum, from Phoenix, Arizona. Her topic was Land Records. We learned about researching our ancestors through land and property research such as Federal land grants, deeds and where to find these records. This research can help one locate and identify relatives through geographic place and time, distinguish same name records, identify where relatives lived and determine social economic status. Michelle shared many websites to check on, how to read deeds, how to locate settlements on a map and identify neighbors. She also showed us how to read those cryptic descriptions on land deeds such as the “Northwest quarter of the Southwest quarter of Section Three in Township one hundred and one North of Range Eleven.” Finally, she identified several books one could purchase or find online to help with research. We all received valuable information and identified more ways to find and document our family roots.
Sharon Scanlon shared that the DesertView Library has a new and extensive Genealogy Section in the non-fiction section No. 920. Club members have also formed Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that meet separately from the monthly meetings to explore areas of common interest. For example, Gloria Quigg has a DNA group that meets once a month and Bonnie Lucas has an Irish heritage group that meets at her home.
Our next meeting on January 5, 2017 will feature Dave Troxell on the topic of Revolutionary War Uniforms. Dave will be displaying uniforms, clothing and weapons of the Revolutionary War as well as stories of the war and reenacting experiences. If you are interested in joining us or have questions, please contact our Membership Chairman Bonnie Lucas at 478-952-1293 or [email protected].