Lydia O’Connor
Genealogy Club members were treated to a month of special events. We began the month with our guest speaker Sherri Hessick from Tucson, AZ. Sherri is a resident of Tucson with over 20 years of experience as a genealogy lecturer, writer and researcher. She also serves on the Board for Pima County Genealogy Society. Her presentation was entitled “Recipe for a Successful Trip to the Family History Library.” Sherri prepared us for the Genealogy Club trip to Salt Lake City from March 3 through 10, 2019. She stated that there is more to do than just getting there. The most important thing will be preparation. This may include deciding what you want to learn, one’s timelines and what questions to ask. It is also important to prioritize objectives and research the records available to answer one’s questions. This may require a call ahead of time to find out what records are available and identify a person to assist in research. We learned everything from what items to bring along, what to wear and the items available at the Family History Library if one doesn’t bring a laptop, tablet, etc. Again, this requires calling in advance. Local trips in the Salt Lake City area can also be planned to enjoy the local scenery and take a break from the research to refresh oneself. Sherri gave us an excellent handout with all the items listed to read and check off as preparations are made and bags packed. Another great learning point was that this type of preparation is good not only for the trip to Salt Lake City but to any place one goes for extended research. It is always important to have a plan “B” because nothing would be worse than going somewhere for a couple of days of research and within the first few hours exhausting all your questions and having nothing else to research.
On Sunday, November 4, Chris and John Nelson hosted club members at their home for a wonderful patio appetizer party. Members were able to mix and mingle to talk about their families and enjoy wonderful appetizers and beautiful surroundings in our perfect Arizona weather. We all compared family notes and places we have been to research family descendants in a relaxed atmosphere and get to know one another outside of the “classroom” setting. Many thanks to our gracious hosts.