Genealogy networking nights are always a good time, because even when I plan something, I never know what’s going to come up.
This month I asked people to share stories of weddings and marriages. I thought we might get some good tales of interesting wedding customs or wedding mishaps. Instead, we wandered into the topic of shotgun weddings and weddings that took place very near the birth of a child, if you know what I mean. As a genealogy colleague of mine has been heard to say, “First babies can come at any time. The rest of them take nine months.”
One person shared how she learned that the weddings she was looking for didn’t take place in the place she expected. I always love a lesson learned: if you don’t find what you’re looking for, expand your search. You might even have to look in Canada!
We also broached the topic of how to contact living relatives. Is it better to call, email, or write a letter? What do you think? Lesson learned on this one: some people just don’t want to be contacted or contribute to the family story, no matter how excited we are about the prospect.
Another person has created a genealogy website with all the research he has done so far. The website is meant to generate interest and give legitimacy to his project. His latest addition to the website is a master plan with deadlines. This should keep him moving forward and not getting distracted by extraneous and enticing but unrelated bits of information.
There are two things you can count on at a Genealogy Networking Group night: interesting stories to share and yummy treats to eat. We enjoyed both last Thursday night and we look forward to next month when our topic will be….
Categories: Genealogy
