On Wednesday, October 14, at 5:30 pm, Genealogy Club of Newtown will continue its 25th anniversary season with an in-person meeting in the meeting room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

All are invited to join. Refreshments will be available, but the club will be unable to serve coffee and tea, so those planning to attend are invited to bring their own drinks.

Guest speaker Sue Schlichting, lead researcher at pursuingyourpast.com, will join the club remotely from Nebraska and will present “Steps to Researching Your German Roots.”

Schlichting will explain the essential tools to have a successful research journey, especially for those who know their family has German roots but may not know where their ancestors are from. She will cover finding an ancestor’s village of origin, reading German handwriting, and navigating some of the most common records, among other topics.

Many of her suggestions will apply for those who are searching other European countries.

Schlichting has more than 30 years of research experience. She grew up on a farm just down the road from her German grandparents. Hearing the stories of the “old country” inspired her to take a deep dive into her German roots. With family coming from northern Germany, Posen, and Transylvania, she has a wealth of experience researching in various parts of the German-speaking world. She also has expertise in the Midwest states, with an emphasis on German and Swedish records.

Genealogy Club of Newtown meets the second Wednesday of each month from September through June. Dues are $30 for an individual, $40 for a family (two people or more). Programs are co-sponsored by the library and are open to all who are interested in researching their family tree.

Membership is encouraged so that the club can continue to learn from the expertise of excellent speakers, and benefit from sharing ideas with others who are researching their ancestors.