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The Society will provide a meat, drinks and paper goods. Feel free to bring something to share!

This is our nearest meeting date to July 4, our nation's 250th birthday. So our Board thought that it would be a good idea to do something different and honor those who paved the way for us. As family historians we often focus on finding vital events. We often inadvertently downplay the fact that our ancestors were real people who lived their lives as best they could in circumstances very different from today. Did you have an ancestor who lived at that time? What do you know about them? How did they live, and where? What did they eat? What did they do for a living? Did they serve with the military? How were they and their families affected by the Revolutionary War? Would you come and talk for a few minutes to share what you know about your Revolutionary War ancestors? We all have ancestors who came here from somewhere else, or came ourselves. If you can't trace your lineage back 250 years, could you come with a story to tell about the revolution, or someone who took part? Don't want to go back that far? Pick any significant national event over the past 250 years and tell us something about that. How about telling us how and why your own ancestors came here? Let's make this a very enjoyable and convivial meeting, but with none of the violence our forebears saw!

Paul will begin the meeting discussing DNA then open the floor to questions and discussion.

What's the best way to use the FamilySearch Wiki to search for early US records? Darris Williams will show us how!

The focus of the talk will be the Irish Ancestors website, in particular major changes that have been implemented over the past year in mapping Irish surnames, record sources and geographic divisions. As well as dealing with visualizations of Irish sources, the talk also provides a broad overview of the most relevant records for Irish research.

Just a few years after the United States gained its independence, America was caught up in a global power struggle between Britain and France which has been referred to as “the silliest war we ever had.” Learn about the importance of this war that affected much of eastern North America, produced several great heroes and future presidents, and yet, is often overlooked in both British and US history. We will discuss the major turning points and the diverse perspectives and experiences of different groups, including Canadians, Native Americans, and Black Americans during, and as a result of the war. We will review where you can look for relevant records and information to further your genealogical research.