WSAC Genealogy Meeting Summary – Wed. November 5. 2025
The Family History Fair:
Members who attended The Family History Fair at the Church of
Latter Day Saints on October 25.25 shared very positive feedback.
The learning sessions and presentations, as well as the exchange
between members, were found to be very informative and educational.
Attendance at future fairs was recommended.
Learning Moment:
Paul shared that one session he attended at the Family History Fair
was on the topic of ‘Mental Health and Family History Go Hand-in-Hand’.
Kevin Hatch presented the results of a study of 700 elderly people over a 30 year
period. Those who participated in family history research vs
those who did not participate in family history research or an equivalent,
found that pursuing family history research stimulated the mind and
created purpose in life. Those who studied and researched their family history
had less mental deterioration by building mental activity. “Use it, or Lose it”
applied.
Meeting Presentation:
Topic: ‘Writing a Your Family Story’ by Dale Rutherford
Dale is a self-published author of several books of fiction and has been an
avid researcher of her family history for several years. She has taken courses
in writing techniques and is currently writing a book on her Irish ancestors who
immigrated to North America during the Irish Potato Famine.
Guidelines for writing of family stories:
- Pull out the details of the time.
- Include some degree of fiction.
- Connect known details to fictional happenings.
The Reason for writing family stories:
- To create empathy, understanding and strengths.
- To share our experiences.
Video of Minke Haverman – ‘What I Learned About Leaving a Legacy’.
This video told the story of Minke Haverman whose mother was diagnosed
with terminal cancer. Minke related the time when her mother took her
shopping for new shoes and she convinced her to buy a pair of pink shoes
even though she was somewhat reluctant to purchase them. She remembered
that event after her mother’s passing and recognized it as a story about leaving
a legacy that could tell the story of her relationship with her mother and the bond
that they shared. This legacy was created to share with future generations.
How to Tell Your Story:
Decide who are you going to tell your story about?
- An ancestor or a group of ancestors.
- An event that shaped your life and theirs.
- A memorable place.
- A record of special vacations.
Your payback: The legacy that you create.
Where to begin your story?
- Write your story as a memoir or biography.
- Write it as poetry or songs.
- Write it as a photo book.
- Record it as an audio or video recording.
- Use postcards, greeting cards, letters, journals from your ancestors.
An example: Dale shared a book she had created with recipes from her mother.
‘Be creative, Think Outside the Box’.
Where Do I start?
Look for a common denominator;
- A building
- A person
- An event
Final Recommendations:
Don’t hold back on your memories.
Be open and be honest.
Tell Your Story for Them.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 3. 2025
Topic: Genealogy and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Speaker: Jean-Yves Vanier-Verbeek from the Edmonton branch of AGS
This presentation highlights techniques for harnessing artificial intelligence to improve
genealogical research and storytelling. It explains the basic principles of AI, presents
examples of its use in genealogy over the years, and discusses the arrival of ChatGPT
and its impact across various fields. Jean-Yves will speak on recent applications of AI
in genealogy that support more effective research and storytelling, and will conclude
with a discussion of the limitations and challenges of AI, as well as its future prospects.
As time permits, we will have Don Bowling demonstrate some of the
AI search tools (ex. ChatGPT) in their use and contribution to genealogical research.