Genealogy Jottings

Genealogy can be a solitary pursuit. Yet as social beings, we all need to find other genealogists for mentorships, collaborations, and the exchange of ideas. Today’s social networking sites offer some opportunity for this interaction with other genealogists, but I find that nothing beats real face time.

Fortunately for me, I live on the Front Range in Colorado where several good genealogical societies thrive. I have belonged to the Colorado Genealogical Society in Denver for many years. Our club has regular meetings, sponsors good seminars, and organizes genealogical activities. All these events provide opportunities for me to meet like-minded people, but I particularly enjoy the monthly Lunch Bunch.

This group meets at various restaurants in the Denver Metro area for good food and conversation. We try to find places that have historical interest or where the menu resonates with a holiday.

Yesterday we gathered in a building that was originally a Carnegie Library. Over pots of fondue (re-living the 60’s!) we talked about our genealogy. Some of the topics:

• A first-hand account of the most recent NGS Conference in the States.
• The story of a family’s immigration from Barbados to New York City in the early 20^th century.
• Sharing Virginia research experiences as we anticipate the visit of Barbara Vines Little, a noted authority on Virginia research, to the Denver Public Library at the end of the month.

I must admit that I enjoyed the opportunity at lunch to describe my recent trip to Finland and Russia. These folks understand exactly why I wanted to take this trip because they want to take similar ones to their own countries of origin. They listened with genuine interest, just as I do when they describe their genealogical work or travels.

These genealogy events provide a welcome diversion from hours of working on my own. I already look forward to next month’s Lunch Bunch.