NOTE: I accepted the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge headed by fellow genealogy blogger Amy Johnson Crow in January 2023. The idea behind this challenge is that you will receive email prompts, a word or phrase, every week, and you find something about your research or family history to write about.  I write in a journal about all the prompts, but I blog about at least one prompt a month.  Click HERE to read about how I have incorporated this challenge in my blogging

When I started researching 10 years ago, I never thought I would be researching after my 14-day Ancestry trial was over. After those two weeks, I continued to read about how to research. That gave me a glimpse into what was possible if I actually continued, so I kept quietly researching. I researched for almost four years with only a few people knowing. I was content researching alone on my laptop and occasionally going to the library.

It wasn’t until I went to my first genealogy conference in September 2016 that I realized just how important genealogy and historical societies could be. I attended a session ‘Why You Should Join a Genealogy Society’ during that conference. When I returned home, I started joining genealogy groups on Facebook and learned about the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage lineage society and the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society. I learned that I would have to some work to be accepted into SDUSMP because it was a lineage society. I was accepted into the SDUSMP after my application and documents were received and approved by the board in August 2017. (Click HERE to read more about my SDUSMP membership) I also became a member of AAHGS, paid my yearly dues for the first time in January 2018, and attended my first national conference in October 2018.

For me being a part of a genealogy society is important because I get to be around like-minded individuals. It’s nice to hear different perspectives on research techniques. Also, I get an opportunity to share my ancestor’s stories and my research discoveries. Being a part of genealogy societies has also allowed me to network and build my Journey Through the Generations brand by attending meetings, conferences, and genealogy events. Being a member of a genealogical society has also helped me become less of an introvert and talk more about my research to others.

Societies I am a member of:

• Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society
• Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage lineage society
• Arkansas Genealogy Society
• Jackson county, Arkansas Historical Society
• Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society