California Genealogical Society blog: Why consider a guided genealogy research trip?

Linda Okazaki and Brenton Simons, President and CEO of NEHGS.
What a fun coincidence that he and I would be color-coordinated twins for the day!

Rather than bore you with a long list of why CGS-led trips are so great, please take a look at what happened on our most recent genealogy research excursion to Boston's prestigious New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).

What happened?

We received a welcoming presentation by internationally recognized Chief Genealogist, David Allen Lambert.

Next, we encountered Gary Boyd Roberts. According to Wikipedia, he is a “genealogist known for researching Americans of royal descent, the ancestors of American presidents, and notable kin" and is a retired NEHGS Senior Research Scholar. Gary dedicated three full days to our group, graciously spending several hours with each of the attendees.

Sandy Fryer and Gary Boyd Roberts

Susanne Mori and Gary Boyd Roberts

Gary Boyd Roberts and Pam Brett

From books to microfilm to manuscripts, the vast collection of materials fascinated us.

Sandy Fryer and Shirley Thomson

Carolyn Nash and Jane Knowles Lindsey

We also had an opportunity to share research tips with NEHGS' Alice Kane. Alice is the Library Patron Services and Consultations Manager. Her many genealogical specialties include Massachusetts and New England genealogy, Chinese-American genealogy, cluster research, maps and migration.

Alice Kane and Linda Okazaki

Jane Lindsey and Shirley Thomson

Jane Lindsey, Sandy Fryer, Vicky Kolakowski

Working with Jane Lindsey at the library was a real treat. As a former trustee with NEHGS, Jane has incredible research expertise that proved helpful for all of our trip attendees.

We strive to make sure that all our trip leaders have exceptional research abilities, so that you can feel confident that you'll accomplish as much as possible on one of our research trips.

Jane Lindsey and Shirley Thomson

Vicky Kolakowski

Susanne Mori

We had a great time doing our own research and getting to know each other during the group meals. We shared our research successes, compared tips, and commiserated over our various brick-walls.

Thank you NEHGS for such a rewarding experience. Our group really enjoyed being part of a research trip that provided a friendly, hands-on approach to family history.

Ready to come along on our next adventure to Salt Lake City? Book now and experience all the magic of a genealogy research trip to the mecca of genealogy, The Family History Library. Deadline to register is fast approaching!

Also, save the date for our inaugural research trip to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. It's scheduled for November 13th - November 20th. If you would like to attend or have questions, please email me. We'll have more information on our Eventbrite page soon.

We hope you join us on one of our adventures!

Photos courtesy of Linda Okazaki and Jane Lindsey