“The Grave Yard Shift.” 
Diane Oslund will offer tips on how to find your ancestor’s burial site andanswer the questions “Why bother? How important is it anyway?”

Mark Harvey, Michigan’s State Archivist, presents: “Genealogy of a House,” looking at the history of a structure and how it relates to genealogical research. Plus Mark will share news on what the Archives is doing to make records more readily accessible to researchers. 

Our own Richard M. Doherty entertains us with his updated “Serendipity: a light hearted look at genealogy.” You never know what you will find while doing research! Sure to be enjoyed by genealogists and non-genealogists alike.

“Discovering your female ancestors.” This Saturday Joint meeting with Detroit Society for Genealogical Research features Melissa Shimkus from Allen County Public Library, Ft Wayne IN. Who doesn’t need help locating the origins of those ladies in your ancestry? Come at 1;30 pm for socializing and refreshments; speaker begins at 2pm. Location: Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church St. (at Lone Pine Rd), Bloomfield Hills.

"Basic French-Canadian Research using modern methods, including mtDNA and YDNA." Gail Moreau-DesHarnais, editor of the French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan journal Habitant Heritage, will share some of the newer resources for documenting your French Canadians, including those on the Internet. She also will describe, in non-techy terms, how she has used DNA testing to enhance her family research.         

Fire and the fighting of fires was an inherent part of life in generations past. Cheryl Anderson of South Lyon brings alive the evolution of firefighting and makes tribute to those from a multitude of nationalities who performed this important service, using data she gathered for her book, Detroit Firefighters A pictorial history.

“Bottom of the Lake.” Irv Rabideau describes various research techniques and resources used to trace the crew of a sunken Great Lakes ship. The Lakes provided a livelihood to men and boys from Michigan and other areas, but many a family lost loved ones on those sometimes-treacherous waters, some never to be found.

“Confessions of a Pro” Al Wakenhut of GenealogyGenius.com presents tips for how to provide the right data when engaging a “pro” for research to assure efficient utilization of the time you are paying for and to maximize results. He will also discuss some of the fascinating odds and ends he has uncovered in his years of professional research.

“Researching the Peerages of England and Scotland.” Since discovering “roots” in the British and Scottish nobles, Sandy Kinter has made a project of peerage research, i.e. Nobility, Lords and Ladies, Landed Gentry, etc. Using both print and Internet resources she will help us interpret the often-confusing material and recommend trustworthy sources as well as identify those to use only with great caution.