On the way to the Georgia Family History Expo, my 1999 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton truck died–somewhere in central Alabama in the new I-22 corridor. Triple AAA towed the truck into Atlanta. The original engine, with 450,000 miles on it, blew.
Very sad…
That truck hauled collections to our Genealogy Library Center in Tremonton UT. It took Afton Reintjes and I to more than 250 seminars and workshops–filled to the brim with my books and other tasty genealogy delights to share with genealogists around the United States and Canada:
American Family Records Conferences each July in Independence MO. Southern California Genealogical Society Jamborees each Spring. Orange County Genealogical Society Seminars. Leland and Patty Meitzler’s Salt Lake Christmas Tours. And 5 years of Family History Expos from California to Georgia.
We packed the truck with food and research files so we could do genealogy searches as we criss-crossed the country. We even slept in the back with sleeping bags when there was no room at the inns.
And this important member of our family transported my husband Alma Eakle comfortably 300 miles roundtrip, three times every week, to his cancer treatments the last year of his life.
So saying goodbye to this very reliable friend is a hard experience for me. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Lots of changes coming this next few months–for the US and for me. Stay tuned.
PPS On this trip to Georgia I have learned a lot of new stuff–new sources, new reference works, new software choices, new computer programs, new ways to find difficult ancestors!