Back to Family History

 I began doing my genealogy in 1977. I remember so well because it was right after we got married. That was before personal computers and I collected everything in to a small spiral notebook.

Then I found the Family History Society of Arizona; a newly founded group with meetings across town. I drove to those meetings and learned about special forms, the LDS library and the large branch in Mesa, and much more. Tired of driving I founded a chapter closer to home. The Paradise Valley Chapter grew and I made numerous friends. One of them I still meet every Tuesday for lunch. I learned genealogy, taught genealogy, lectured and eventurally became a professional genealogist myself.

Over time I've gotten away from genealogy but always came back. Today I went to a seminar with my lunch buddy. It was great to see the people I haven't seen in years and to get all enthused with ideas for searching my family.

My friend Janna Larson of Genealogy One-On-One.

She kindly let me set up my Inner Critics and a couple of Shabby Journals on one end. They got a few guffaws.

The speaker today was Dick Eastman who has an on-line newsletter for technology and genealogy here. I haven't spent any time with his site but from the information he gave us today it will be well worth the time. He really talked to me as I am currently trying to sort through the research of the past 35 years and making it compact and ready to hand down to my descendants. I worry about digitizing everything vs keeping hard copies. Basically he says to keep as many copies in as many formats as possible.

This is good advice for all genealogists, writers and everybody else who has important documents, family photos and memories.

Please excuse me, while I go back up my laptop.