Get the next generation interested in genealogy by using smart phones

These hot sticky days make me yearn for the cool white sheets right off the clothes line that I slept on through my childhood. Those sheets never died, never got thin, didn't bunch up on the bed and when they finally frayed at the edges, they became the base for my grandmother's quilts. You didn't have to look for a thread count. Made in the USA, they were thick, crisp and wonderful to sleep on (in your house with no air conditioning) when you finally climbed the stairs after a day of hard work and play in the sun.

When I got to our monthly meeting Saturday, I was excited to see the room filled with people despite the fact that it was one of those hot, sticky July afternoons. We even had some new faces and as always, new people mean new ideas, which our group always welcomes. Among the things discussed was our Heritage Days booth in the park and our October Expo, both of which have become great educational tools for the society.

Often I will see people downtown and they will have family stories but nothing to back them up with. While I am quite willing to look ancestors up for people within my available time frame, I have a suggestion. When grandchildren visit, it seems one or all of their electronic devices aren't far from their hands, a fact that tends to frustrate some people when it happens at their home.

So, here's a suggestion! Take advantage of that talent that even 10 year olds seem to have with the internet and put them to work doing searches for you. Engage them at a level that they understand and introduce them to your family's genealogy through a source that they want to use. It will benefit both of you.

Have available the pictures, letters, etc., that you might possess of each relative and then sit with your young person as they search. Free search webs such as ours, www.swngs.org , or www.familysearch.org are great places to start. Let them do random searches also; they will be a lot quicker at sorting out information that doesn't add up! You never know what jewels of information they might find for you and in turn, family history is shared with the next generation.

Did you know that Beatrice, Nebraska, is the site of the Homestead National Monument of America? If you are traveling East in our state, that is definitely a place to visit. Part of the National Park Service, the address is: 8523 West State Highway 4, Beatrice, NE. The Homestead Records Project done at this site is working on digitizing homestead filings. They are also seeking homesteading stories. If you, like I do, have original stories written by one of your ancestors that filed on a homestead in any state, consider sharing that story with them.

If you don't travel, come to our October Genealogy Expo where one of our featured speakers will be from the Beatrice facility! Watch for more news as the date nears, or pick up a flyer at our Heritage Day Booth!

Our library, located at 110 West C, Suite M-3, continues to be open to the public for research on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 -- 4. Join us on Facebook to receive updates concerning projects or information on meetings.