Class - Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs

CLASSES

All of my extended ed classes are Saturday workshops from 9am to 4pm. I leave plenty of time for discussion and for getting your questions answered, including those about your own projects. I encourage you to bring along anything about which you have questions or want input from me and/or your fellow students.

Please visit the appropriate college, usually Pierce College (Lakewood or Puyallup campuses), South Puget Sound Community College (Mottman Main Campus), or Centralia College for information on fees, classroom locations, and how to register.

The following is what's on my schedule so far for 2011. The class description follows the schedule below.

WINTER 2012 Schedule

JAN 28 - Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs
Pierce College (Puyallup)

MAR 03 - Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs
South Puget Sound Community College (Olympia)

SPRING 2012 SCHEDULE

APR 28 - Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs
Pierce College (Puyallup)

SUMMER 2012 SCHEDULE

JUN 2 - Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs
South Puget Sound Community College (Olympia)

JUN 16 - Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs
Centralia College (Centralia)

Researching and Writing Your Family History or Memoirs. Lots of how-to info and plenty of time for your questions. Research methods for genealogical and anecdotal data, including interviews with family members and friends; obtaining personal letters, diaries, photos, etc.; Internet searches, Ellis Island records, SS Death Index, genealogical archives, title searches, ethnicity-specific organizations, and government departments of vital statistics. Understanding variations in names, birth and death dates, cities and countries of origin, digging for the truth behind family stories, and handling delicate information, speculative data, and "holes" in stories. Fact-checking and ethics. Use of formats and viewpoints in your history, and writing from outline through finished book. Collecting, identifying, dating, and managing photos and other images. Kinship terms, charts, and trees. Instructor has more than 25 years genealogical experience, so bring along anything about which you have questions or want input. Detailed syllabus.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY

Our genealogy was a mess and now we know how to fix it by becoming family history detectives!

- Annette & Gordon

My family history will be more complete and far more accurate thanks to Joelle.

- Missy D.

This class was so informative, and so helpful. I can hardly wait to get started on my family history.

- Beverly L.-S.

My family history has so many holes in it, and now I know how to find answers and get them filled once and for all.

- Dick F.

I had all the names and dates, but there was no story, and now I see the story and I understand how to expand it even further, thank to Joelle.

- Liz K.

I couldn't find anything on any of the genealogy websites, and now I know where else to look.

- J. Mc.

I knew there had to be a better way to write my memoirs, and now I know how to do it.

- Ben M.