This evening I will be speaking on one of my favorite presentations, "Frugal Genealogy, or How Not to Spend a Fortune on Your Family Tree!" at the Tri-City Genealogical Society in Richland, Washington. It's a two-and-a-half hour drive south from my home in Spokane, and I will be combining a bit of my own research with this engagement. Because the meeting is in the evening, I will be staying the night at the home of a couple of members who have generously offered their guest room to me. An advantage is that on the way to their home, I will be passing right by Sunset Memorial Gardens, where my husband's maternal grandparents, Forrest L. "Frank" CHAPLIN and Leona Mary MARTIN are buried.
I've been to the cemetery once, nearly 16 years ago, for the graveside service of Leona. Frank had passed away 17 years previously, long before I had met my husband and his family. Several years ago, I was able to get photographs of their graves, along with the block, lot, and space numbers for their burial places, thanks to a volunteer at Find a Grave. However, I am planning to stop and rephotograph the graves for myself, as well as determine if any of their siblings are also buried there. I did a quick check through my RootsMagic program, and it appears that between Frank and Leona, only one sibling passed away in the area: Frank's older brother Charles Cornelius CHAPLIN, who died in 1973. Charlie Chaplin may indeed be buried at Sunset, so I will be inquiring at the cemetery office!
I'm looking forward to meeting the members of the TCGS and giving my presentation. I have met a few of them who have in their turn, spoken at some of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society meetings (my home society), and I expect to see many of them at the Washington State Genealogical Society's state conference in Spokane in September.
The tri-cities area, consisting of Pasco in Franklin County and Kennewick and Richland in Benton County, is a beautiful area, well-known for its orchards, gardens, and vineyards. The wine industry there is second only to California's Napa Valley. Its rolling hills and the many rivers (the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia all merge in this region) make for a lovely landscape, and I look forward to my little get away!
1 comment:
Just got home from the meeting and, as expected, the presentation was well worth the time. Thank you, Miriam!
I rode with my friend who is an avid golfer as well as genealogist. Her comment as we left was that she would have to give up golf and spend all her time in front of the computer with all the websites you gave us tonight. She was very pleased with your presentation as well.
Now, if you could come up with a talk on how to get ALL our genealogy done within the time constraints of the lives we are living, I would be first in line to listen.
Thanks again,
Margie
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