May Genealogy Networking Group Wrap-Up

The Cook Genealogy Networking Group met virtually last night. Eighteen of us Zoomed with each other, and after having missed a month in April, it was great to “see” everyone again.

As usual, fun stories were shared. One person shared how she had connected with someone on a historical society’s Facebook page and helped them find their biological father’s family. We heard “the tale of two sisters:” one sister saved every scrap of notes from a family interview and shared it, the other sister shredded all of her father’s military records and documents.

Everyone has been busy with projects during this time of staying at home. Several have found that this is the perfect time to go through family photographs. One person sorted out all the photographs that had a similar border and found that they were from a family wedding. Several others have been going through papers and records they’ve had for years, and in doing so have made new discoveries.

Others have made connections with living relatives through online family trees. MyHeritage seems to be gaining more interest, especially with their recent colorization offer in the month of April. (You can still colorize 10 photos without having to pay)

We also had a Show and Tell. We saw a sampler from the 1700s, an autograph book with signatures going back to the 1880s (Zoom’s “screen share” feature worked quite well to allow everyone up close viewing), pince nez glasses, a shoemaker’s shoe form possibly brought from Russia, a handmade lace tablecloth, and tools from a grandfather’s ice business: tongs, a fork, and an ice card used for deliveries.

One thing we liked about meeting on Zoom was the ease of sharing websites through the chat feature. We talked about a site that helps you find Catholic parishes in Chicago and someone shared it in an instant. Someone else shared a site that helps you connect with your Polish culture. 

Since it will probably be some time before we can meet together at the library again, we will plan to hold our June meeting on Zoom, too. June 4 at 7 p.m. Watch for registration information closer to the date. And if you want to receive twice-weekly emails with tips for researching at home, click here then select “Genealogy” to sign up for our genealogy newsletters.

Stay well and safe!