February Program

Speaker: Eilene Lyon 

Dear Diary – Find and use letters, diaries and memoirs, even if your family left none

Location

Zoom only

Register for Zoom only below

SCHEDULE 

9:30-10:00 AM – Sharing and socializing – open mic 

10:00 AM-Welcome and brief announcements followed by the speaker

Program Description

Program description to come

Eilene will share some of the resources she found to help tell the story of her gold rush ancestors and other relatives. Even if your ancestors left no self-written documents, the ones by their contemporaries can serve in their place. She will provide research strategies for finding these valuable records to help tell your own family stories.

Speaker Bio

Eilene Lyon  

The author of two books of historical nonfiction, Eilene Lyon has spent decades researching hers and others’ families to piece together narrative stories about the past. Fortune’s Frenzy: A California Gold Rush Odyssey relates her Indiana heritage and her ancestors’ experiences seeking their fortunes during the gold rush. Coming this year, What Lies Beneath Colorado Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards explores the hidden personal trials and triumphs discovered in Colorado’s oldest cemeteries, bringing the history of the state to life. She writes regularly on her blog, Myricopia (Meer-uh-COPE-ee-uh), and has published articles in local and regional genealogy and history magazines. 

A lover of the great outdoors, Eilene lives in Durango, Colorado, where she enjoys mountain biking, skiing, bird and plant identification, and hiking with her two enthusiastic mutts. She has a BS in Environmental Biology with additional qualifications in Geographic Information Systems, Chemistry, and Accounting. She also spent ten years as a licensed real estate broker. She shares her passion for family history by giving presentations on research, writing, and genealogy to local, regional, and national audiences, helping others to know their ancestors with greater compassion and historical context.