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Be sure to subscribe to
both my Newsletters (blogs) so you don't miss out! My original is
on general genealogical topics, and NEW in 2008 is my Virginia
Genealogy newsletter.
October 2007 saw a very successful research trip. Be
sure to check out the photos,
and the blog archives
for October. You can also review the calendar of
locations. Be sure to click the menu for future trips to get information
about the spring trip in 2008.
A thank you letter to all of you--my very kind friends and all my genealogy
research clients--
Why did I write this letter and why am I posting it on my
Home Page? For two reasons:
1. To thank you all--my kind friends and my patient
genealogy research clients--for giving me the time I needed to care for my
husband Alma, through his illness and death. When we called to tell
you about this life-changing event facing us, every single client expressed
concern for me and said you would wait until I could get the work done.
2. 2006 has become a challenging year for all
of us with its own unique concerns. Yet, our US economy hums right
along bringing prosperity undreamed of for those who plan ahead so they can
take advantage of the opportunities all around us. And this website
will bring an amazing opportunity for me to realize a dream of my own and
to share that dream with you—an interactive Genealogy NEWS
Sheet (see the description below.)
Alma would Thank You, too
If my husband, Alma, were still here, he would thank you too. Alma
was the "wind beneath my wings." He encouraged me to become a professional
genealogist, paid my tuition and fees for several years so I could get first
a Master's degree and then a PhD in English History with a minor in Colonial
American History. He was convinced that I would be a better genealogist
with this knowledge and a more effective one with these credentials. He
was absolutely correct.
Not once did he grumble about the extra work helping with our children,
and the maintenance of our home, paying the bills, supplying the wheels and
the fuel for my long commute to the University of Utah, first and then, to
the Family History Library. I worked for the University History Department
so they could qualify for National Endowment for the Humanities funds. He
even delayed seeking a larger farm for his growing dairy herd until I was
well on my way to graduation.
When he became ill with pancreatic cancer, my decision to devote full
time to his care and comfort was difficult for him to accept--he knew you
were waiting for research, for which you had paid in advance. When
you all agreed to give me time for him, his gratitude was expressed, as always,
in a tangible, practical way. He carefully prepared me to take charge
of my own affairs--and while I struggled with the idea that I must do it
alone, I discovered that he had also primed the members of our family to
be ready to assist me as I needed help.
Alma died in December 2004. And then I spent most of 2005 learning
the physical aspects of grief--about which I had been warned by my medical
friends and which I thought I could bypass. Wrong! Accommodating
grief is a process and no matter how strong or courageous I seemed, what
I needed was time--and you gave me that precious time. I'd like to
thank you: for being friendly, expressing love and interest,
and for patiently waiting for me to get my act together.
2006 is a Great Year for All of Us
2006 is a great year in every single way. I am back at work with
about 90% of my stamina, and 100% of my enthusiasm. Work on the renovation
of my building, so I can establish a research library, continues as funds
permit. I have acquired several NEW COLLECTIONS from genealogists and
organizations who discovered I would ACCEPT genealogy manuscript collections
into my own library, preserve them, and make them available to the public
in a controlled, state-of-the-art environment. See the Library Link for
a preliminary list of collections we now have available.
- I took 3 months to de-frag my office, my home, and myself, to prepare
my mind to focus on the job at hand--fulfilling my research commitments
to you:
- The back section of my building has been sectioned off temporarily
and the large tables left by the knitting factory will be carpeted so
that I can sort and access these research collections, in my library, as
they apply to your research That is one of the main
reasons I am collecting them in the first place, to benefit you and your
ancestors.
- I am hard at work completing your research projects. You recognize,
I'm sure, that I will need several months to complete all of the research
I contracted. So I have a special request for each of you:
- If you found or acquired new information on your ancestors,
since March 2004, please send it along now--so I will have the benefit
of it to help complete this work. Or if you have been meaning
to contact
close relatives or genealogy cousins for additional
data,
please do so. Or if you have been thinking about your ancestor's
life, please share your thoughts. Now is the time that I need this
information
- My granddaughter, Kara Brinkerhoff, volunteered to make photocopies
at the Family History Library to free my time to do the searches. So
January and February were great research months and I can prepare several
reports--It seemed logical for me to give priority first to those who have
waited the longest time--with some consideration to those who are the oldest
clients. Some who are in their 80's and one who is already past 90. Then
there are a few in ill health who may be nervous about waiting too long. And
a few who have important deadlines pending and are shaky because of my
long delay in getting the information they need. And some whose
research is in the same locality or same set of records and can be combined
together--which will speed up the work.
Much NEW Genealogy Information Available
While life required almost 2 years of me, other genealogists around the
world have been working diligently--compiling data on their own ancestors
and submitting it to Ancestry.com's World Tree. Or, transcribing county
and local data to the internet or publishing these materials in book form
for your benefit. And newly available records on microfilm through
the LDS Family History Library or identified in new library or archive search
guides are just waiting to be checked for your missing ancestors. What
progress has been made all around us! You benefit because their stuff
speeds up your work.
Your Genealogy Research is my Commitment
Your research is my priority commitment for 2006. As a result I
originally agreed to speak at only two events in 2006: the St George
Jamboree, 10-11 Feb 2006 in St George UT and the Southern California Genealogical
Society Jamboree 5-6 May 2006 at the Burbank Hilton Convention Center on
Hollywood Way. I wanted to keep abreast of the new sources in print,
and to renew contact with my genealogy peers for new procedures and strategies
that work. I have agreed to speak at two more events in October. You
benefit directly from this attendance, since I can utilize what's new to
find your ancestors. I gave several reports at the meetings in St George
and Southern California. Those clients I did not see will receive
their reports by mail.
My travel in 2006 is limited to research areas where your ancestors lived
and left traces in the records--which are not available in print, on the
internet, or on microfilm at the Family History Library. You benefit
from this travel directly, because I know where the data are stored that
could give us a breakthrough on each of your difficult lines. My first
research trip of 2006 was 20 Mar-12 Apr into Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
and West Virginia. I had so much research to do I ended up staying
an extra 10 days to do it. And I need to go back sometime this FALL. If
you have MD, VA, NC, or WV lines you want help on, consider signing up for
that research trip.
Research in Tennessee, Kentucky, and possibly,
Alabama
In August, I will make a research trip into Tennessee, Kentucky, and possibly,
Alabama. (My trip to Alabama in 2005 fell through when the hurricane
season hit and ravished the southern coast from FL to TX.) Since I am planning
ahead we can watch the Hurricane Season predictions for this year and plan
accordingly. If any of you want research in TN, KY, or AL and I am
not currently researching ancestors there for you—let me
know right away. I need
to plan a careful itinerary ahead of time—libraries and archives in
many areas are suffering from budget crunches and have shortened their public
hours.
My primary research commitment is to you: And this means that I
will, from time to time, let you know of research opportunities available
to you compatible with my current schedule. For example, where
I will be doing field research so that if you have a genealogy line
in that same locality, you can take advantage of the fact that I will be
there and could do some work for you too. Hear this sad tale: I
went to the exact county where the ancestor lived and searched the needed
set of records--completely unaware that one of you needed access to those
very documents on another lineage. What a waste!
You Benefit by Choosing Me as your Genealogist
You see, I believe that my first allegiance is to you and your genealogy.
And I am willing to give you special pricing consideration for additional
work you may want me to do. You can also realize a tax deduction for your
research through Genealogy Library Center.com, a
non-profit corporation that includes genealogy research as a non-profit activity.
I know that I am your favorite genealogist on the lecture circuit. I
want to be your professional genealogist of choice when you think
about an ancestor you want to trace. I don't use up your paid-for research
time on sources that do not apply to your problem just because
they are easy to search or close at hand. In short, the library I
use does not dictate the success of your research project. I
plan field research into those areas where the records you need are
located. I go there and get your stuff! You benefit because
I guarantee the work I do for you--and if you pay my prices, I will search
until I find your ancestor--something few professional genealogists do.
By choosing me as your genealogist, you also get:
- my extensive skill and practical experience in state and local sources
- my dedication to your specific research needs as if these were my own
ancestors
- my careful analysis of data as well as the use of complicated legal
evidence in land documents--experience and skill that most genealogists
do not have. Indeed, even local government officials are often
deficient in the ability to read and understand property records.
DNA has progressed to become a real factor in our search for ancestors.
I have been working with the Winslow Farr Family Organization, just now completing
the paper documentation to support exact match DNA lines
back to Bedfordshire England. This amazing tale will be outlined in
a forthcoming book by Tim Farr, St George UT, and a companion article
about to be published. I will seek permission to share the article
with you as soon as it appears along with information on the new FARR book.
Many thanks for your acceptance of my time limitations these past two
years. And 2006 is already a year of extraordinary achievement for
your research. Reports will be sent out each week until I am caught
up.
Your favorite genealogist--
Arlene H. Eakle PhD
See Contacts link for address
Coming soon are
links to my special research and book offers.
P.S. I will soon launch an email Genealogy News Sheet written
by me, once a week to begin so we can get used to the schedule and the technology,
and then becoming a daily News Sheet for genealogy and my
activities—there is that much happening in genealogy. It will
be in blog format so you can respond and share if you want to. I will
alert you of field trips, new sources, and other information pertinent
to your research. In the first issues I will tell you of the
important new resources for MD, VA, NC, and WV I learned on my trip there. Amazing!
If you would like to be included, please be sure that I have your email address.
“I Couldn’t Have Said it Better Myself!”
“I have appreciated watching you at work, at the Family
History Library. I saw how you focused on finding the ancestor,
carefully selecting the books to examine, copying the pages, highlighting
the entries, and compiling the new information onto family charts. Your
work was a real eye-opener for me.” Bonnie Bliss, San Jose
“I can never thank you enough. I bought an hour
of your time—one-on-one. You helped me organize my work
chronologically. It was the best money I have ever spent on my
genealogy.” Nellie Lowry, Chatsworth CA
These new testimonials are a small sampling from the recent letters, and
emails, and comments in person we receive from our clients. We have
an 85% renewal rate because of what we find! I couldn’t have
said it better myself.
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