Our Board & Volunteers

1. How did you get started in family history research?
I started working on my family history at the age of 20. My paternal Grandmother was 80 at that time and I constantly asked her questions about her family in Scotland. I was lucky that she lived to the grand old age of 102 years because I had a lot of questions! I also wrote letters to my maternal Grandfather’s cousin in Ontario to ask about the ancestors who had settled there. I was always curious about my family roots.
2. How did you find the Alberta Family Histories Society and become involved?
I moved to Calgary on October 1, 1993. I found an ad for the Alberta Family Histories Society in a publication called Neighbours and joined later that month. So, I have been a member for over 30 years. I served on the board as membership secretary for a term of two years (2004-2006) and as a director for several years. I joined the library committee and have held the position of library chair since 2007. I have attended many AFHS Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings over the years including ones for Ontario, English, Celtic and Legacy software. I have been a co-chair of the AFHS DNA SIG since it was formed in 2014.
3. What is one research tip that you would like to share with our Society members?
Ask lots of questions and document the answers. In the early years, I was so excited to find the information but didn’t always document my sources. Also, make a note if you searched for information and didn’t find any answers.
4. What are some of the areas you have experience researching in?
I have researched my family extensively in Manitoba, Ontario, England, Scotland, New England, and Pennsylvania. I have done some research for my husband’s family in Alberta, Lithuania, and Ukraine.

1. How did you get started in family history research?
I got started in family history research by talking a class in family history in Lethbridge, while going to college at the Family History Centre in 1985.
2. How did you find the Alberta Family Histories Society and become involved?
I found the Alberta Family Histories Society (AFHS) by searching online for their website.
I became involved with AFHS because they requested help filling a volunteer position.
3. What is one research tip that you would like to share with our society?
I would recommend review your ancestors’ sources on a regular basis such as census records. My ancestor, Sarah Mabel (Mooney) Bailey, (1883 – 1965) was transcribed as Nanah Mable Bailey in the Canadian 1931 census. Upon deeper investigation and reflection, I reviewed the handwritten document of the census revealing the name of Sarah Mabel Bailey.
4. What are some of the areas you have experience researching in?
My areas of research are Ontario, Nova Scotia, Ireland, England, and United States.

How did you get started in family history research?
My mother (now in her 90s) took over our genealogy search from my grandmother. I now am picking up from my mother, and it is great to tell each other what we have learned in our research.
How did you find the Alberta Family Histories Society and become involved?
I met Wendy Schultz at a walking class and started talking about genealogy research and she mentioned the Alberta Family Histories Society.
What is one research tip that you would like to share with our Society members?
If you are looking for research and information the Society members are a wealth of knowledge. Just ask and you will always learn something new.
What areas of the province / country / world have you done research in?
I am new at the research part, but I have researched Alberta, Ontario, England, Wales and Scotland.

How did you get started in family history research?
I visited the LDS Church Family Search Centre on 17th Avenue SW back in the 1980s looking for records on my Benedict line. The staff were most helpful with searching through the microfilms. I did find my Benedict great-grandparents, living in Wallaceburg, Ontario. But my great-grandmother’s maiden surname was Benedict and it turned out my great-grandparents were first cousins! After that discovery, I was hooked!
How did you find the Alberta Family Histories Society and become involved?
I first found the Digital Genealogy group, which was not affiliated with AFHS at the time, but some attendees were AFHS members. As I became more familiar with genealogy studies through this group, I decided to also join AFHS as they had an active and enthusiastic group of computer users. I fit right in.
What is one research tip that you would like to share with our Society members?
Pick one area of your family branch and stay focused. Collect whatever sources and images you can and then digitize and store them on a website somewhere for your extended family to find and enjoy.
What are some of the areas you have experience researching in?
My research areas are Alberta, Ontario, New England, Maritimes (Acadian) and Alsace, France.

1. How did you get started in family history research?
Not totally sure but members of our family tended to donate various family artifacts to me. And, despite my engineering background, I had a penchant for writing. I tended to write up the family stories that I had collected.
2. How did you find the Alberta Family Histories Society and become involved?
When I retired, we moved to spending our winters in California and I joined a local genealogy club. One of the members of that club, Greg Cave, encouraged me to connect with AFHS back in Calgary, where we spend our summers. And that’s exactly what I did!
3. What is one research tip that you would like to share with our Society members?
I would recommend that folks structure their research information so that revisiting that material becomes an easy task. Find a set of standards that work for you and be highly disciplined in maintaining your records in that fashion.
4. What are some of the areas you have experience researching in? 
I have researched in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, and Australia.