SPEAKER

Our speaker Monday was Prof. Larry Steel from the Community College of Aurora. Larry is an historian and has taught Colorado and American history for many years. He was also elected to be a member of the Colorado electoral college for the 2012 presidential election. His topic for the day was genealogy. With the advent of things like Ancenstry.com, this has become somewhere between a mild interest for most to an absolute obsession to others.

Some highlights of Prof. Steel's presentation:

*John Steinbeck, in The Grapes of Wrath, wrote, "How can we know it us without our past?" Where we come from matters to us and informs us about who we are, and who we are likely to become.
*The study of genealogy lets us know that we have a lot in common. We share many of the same experiences, or can at least empathize with those we do not share exactly. It also helps us to understand how we fit into our community.
*Genealogy develops pride in our family and our heritage, and may help us understand why certain people have certain attitudes about things. It forms the basis for the stories we tell each other around the table at family gatherings.
*One of the big reasons we care is pure curiosity. Did any of my relatives fight in the American Revolution? Were any of them famous? Were any of them infamous?
*Ancestry.com is a great resource, but you do have to pay for the privilege. Looking for family documents is a great way to get started on your own. Deeds, family Bibles, birth certificates, etc. are great ways to learn little bits about those who came before us.
*Something new that is now generally available is DNA testing. It can pinpoint which parts of the world our ancestors came from.