But none of these are insurmountable. The following stories are
true incidents that happened to my students. I’m just hoping
you will share your stories with me so I can pass them on to others
as well:
Linda was so enthusiastic about finding her ancestors in Armenia,
that she learned the skills to become a credentialed genealogist
in New England so she could help others trace their people to
Armenia. Many Armenians traveled to New England. Hoping she would
have funds from this avenue, she also traveled to the country
and started to learn the language so she could make links with
those willing to help in her old country. She published a book
abstracting records on Armenians and is one of the leading experts
in the field today. She is today as well, a volunteer in the Monterey,
California, Family History Center. Her name is Linda Avakian.
She is an Accredited Genealogist Professional.
Karen was so determined to find her immigrant ancestor in the
south that she too learned the skills to become a credentialed
genealogist. She passed the Southern States examination and worked
for my company in Monterey, before she opened her own company
in Freedom, California. Her name is Karen Black and she works
in the Watsonville area as an Accredited Genealogist Professional.
Mr. Cline had roots in Eastern Europe. He and his wife took
a one-week research trip with the class to Salt Lake City. He
won the prize for taking the most copies of documents. I think
his suitcase weighed over 70 pounds with just papers. We all wondered
why the nose of the airplane seemed to be higher all the way home.
It was a great trip. The preparations he had made in the class
helped him find the resources he needed in the old country. Within
two years, he had travel to his homeland and found his roots.
It was an emotional journey. Mr. Cline lives in Carmel.
I’m sorry to say that this student’s name has left
my brain cells. She was a student in the mid-1980s. She came from
humble circumstances and never in her wildest imagination did
she think she would ever travel anywhere. But she dutifully prepared
her research planners as assigned. A couple of years later, someone
in the family died, and left her money and a charge to go find
those ancestors. She went and she found them. She lived in a little
town outside of Salinas, California.
In our own class this semester, people have helped several of
you with projects. Kathy Parker was helped by Glenda who was assisted
by a Dutch specialist in the Family History Library. Kathy was
also helped by a dear Aunt who sends her materials now and then.
I personally was helped by a relative in Finland who found me
after I had submitted information to the IGI. We eventually met
in Los Angeles where he had come to a convention. He brought me
a chart of my ancestor’s descendants that he had researched
in Finland. WOW! What a gift. Since then I have entertained several
of our family from Finland in San Francisco.
