Genealogy Networking Group Update

At our last Genealogy Networking Group meeting, we did a lot of sharing.

Never Too Late. We always share brick walls or breakthroughs. One of our members found information in a book printed in 1929 that completely changed the research that she’s been doing since 1984. Remember you can look for books at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust, Google Books, and FamilySearch. You can also request books or copies through interlibrary loan; check WorldCat to make sure a library owns the book you’re searching for.

Message in a Bottle. Another group member told of how she visits the graves of her ancestors in Wisconsin once a year to put flowers on the graves. This year when she went she found a note placed in an empty prescription bottle with the name and address of a living relative. She has contacted the person and is waiting for a response.

Location, Location, Location. One of our members visited the hometown of an ancestor in Canada. He went to the town museum and found several local histories, unavailable anywhere else, that included the surname he is researching.

There’s More Than One Way… Immigration was the topic of the evening. Immigrating to America was a dream come true for our ancestors, and they took many different routes to get here. For instance:
– as a stowaway.
– through the Barge Office, precursor to Ellis Island, the day after it opened.
– snuck in by boat from Canada to Detroit, but was later found out and sent back home.
– length of stay in this country: one day. The ancestor died the day after the boat landed in Ellis Island.
– made multiple trips back and forth, including through Philadelphia.

Hearing each others’ stories may shed new light on a problem or brick wall we’re struggling with. Knowing this stories makes genealogy fun and interesting. Join us at our next meeting, September 6, for another evening of genealogy networking.