Special Interest Groups

We are pleased to offer the following four Special Interest Groups to help members further their research. Most will be held on Zoom, so you can attend from anywhere. To join any of these groups, send an email to Barb Elliott or ColumbineGenealogy@gmail.com.

These groups are a benefit of membership. If you are not a member, become a member at the Columbine Friends Corner website. You can pay by credit card or check. Cost-wise, it’s a deal!

Many of these classes are videotaped, and videos can be viewed by members here.

♦ Beginner Research: Websites and Software  -In-Person

Join us for in-person meetings 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Arapahoe Public Library, Southglenn; 6972 S. Vine Street, Centennial, CO, Room 3. If you have a laptop, bring it with you.

This is a hands-on class to discuss the various genealogy websites and software. We will answer questions and delve into either FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com, followed by individual follow-up for research and problem solving.
— no class in November
— Dec. 17 at Southglenn Library

♦ Learning to Use Your Family Tree Maker Software

We are using the FTM Companion Guide (available free on the MacKiev website) and cover a chapter per month. The concept of this class is that we teach each other. This is a great way to learn how to use your FTM software. Please have your FTM software loaded onto your computer before we start the class.
This class will be held at 10 a.m. MDT on the 4th Thursday of each month. Upcoming meetings:
— Nov. 21 – Creating a Family History Book
— Dec. 19 – Working with Trees
— Jan. 23 – Using TreeVault
— Feb. 27 – Family Tree Problem Solver

♦ Finding and Researching Early Church Records (1600’s-1790’s)

If your ancestors were in the Americas during this time period and you are having trouble finding these records, this group might be of help. We look at the states you are researching and show you where to look. We will be using the card catalogs of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org to find church records. This is a hands-on class.
This class will be held at 1:30 p.m. MDT on the 3rd Friday of each month. Upcoming meetings:
— Dec. 20 (this class might be cancelled)

♦ Looking at Deeds, Property Records and Wills

Eilene Lyon gave Columbine an excellent presentation on “Finding and Using Property Records” early in 2024. This class looks more in-depth at those same types of records including where to find plat maps. We discuss how to read deed records and how to trace back to the original deed. Wills can contain information on property that was left to relatives and friends. We will review and transcribe these records.
This class will be held at 10 a.m. MDT on the 1st Monday of each month. Upcoming meetings:
— Dec. 2