MembershipJoin Gen Friends to continue your genealogy education and connect with fellow family history enthusiasts.
Membership runs from October 1st to September 30th. Your support helps cover the costs of our monthly Saturday Seminars and donations to the Genealogy Section at W.O. Haggard Library. Members have access to the following:
$45 for a year and a half - April 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 Pay for membership via PayPal or with a credit card. Info on our Membership page. |
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If membership isn't for you but you enjoy our webinars, please consider donating to Genealogy Friends.
All Day Seminar - Strategies for Genealogical Discoveries
August 15, 2026
Upcoming Saturday Seminars - Hybrid
September 19, 2026 - From Parlor to Platform: Women's Clubs and Organizations as Genealogical Sources by Barbara Coakley - Discover how the women's club movement of the late 1800s took women from the parlor into hospitals, schools, and civic office - and left behind records that document them in their own right, not through the men in their lives. Includes a case study of a women's organization and tips on where these records survive.
Speaker: Barbara Coakley - It all started with an envelope.In 1985, Barbara Coakley's aunt handed her a collection of old family papers — and a lifelong passion was born. Four decades later, Barbara has become an accomplished genealogical educator and author who genuinely loves sharing her experience and knowledge with fellow researchers at every skill level.
Barbara taught Continuing Education genealogy courses at Collin College for over a decade and has lectured to genealogical societies across the country, both in person and virtually. Her formal training includes all the major institutes and ProGen 49. Her research has been published in genealogical society journals in Missouri, Illinois, and Oregon.
Barbara serves as President of Genealogy Friends of Plano (TX) Libraries, Treasurer for the Texas State Genealogical Society, and volunteers for the Dallas Genealogical Society. She believes every family has a story worth telling.
Speaker: Barbara Coakley - It all started with an envelope.In 1985, Barbara Coakley's aunt handed her a collection of old family papers — and a lifelong passion was born. Four decades later, Barbara has become an accomplished genealogical educator and author who genuinely loves sharing her experience and knowledge with fellow researchers at every skill level.
Barbara taught Continuing Education genealogy courses at Collin College for over a decade and has lectured to genealogical societies across the country, both in person and virtually. Her formal training includes all the major institutes and ProGen 49. Her research has been published in genealogical society journals in Missouri, Illinois, and Oregon.
Barbara serves as President of Genealogy Friends of Plano (TX) Libraries, Treasurer for the Texas State Genealogical Society, and volunteers for the Dallas Genealogical Society. She believes every family has a story worth telling.
GenFriends Blog
Keep up to date on the latest news in Genealogy. Here is a link https://genfriends.blogspot.com/
An email will be sent out each month once the articles are posted.
Click the Follow button on the main page of the blog to see updates in your reading list.
The schedule of events (GenFriends and other groups) is on the Events page.
The newsletter archive will still be available for past newsletters.
An email will be sent out each month once the articles are posted.
Click the Follow button on the main page of the blog to see updates in your reading list.
The schedule of events (GenFriends and other groups) is on the Events page.
The newsletter archive will still be available for past newsletters.
Genealogy Round Table - Zoom - September 3, 2026
Do you have a genealogy related question or a Brick Wall problem? The group is here to help.
We'll also discuss the changes to the Bureau of Land Management General Land Office website.
Email [email protected] to join the email distribution list.
We'll also discuss the changes to the Bureau of Land Management General Land Office website.
Email [email protected] to join the email distribution list.
No experience needed! Want to learn about how DNA can help you research your family? Join us via Zoom at 7 pm. Email [email protected] for Zoom info and to be added to the new DNA email list.
Research At The Library - October 10, 2026
Join Genealogy Friends experienced genealogists at W.O. Haggard Library from 10:15 to 1 pm on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Program at 10:30 - AI and Genealogy: Using AI to Create Better Family Stories and Narratives
Discover how artificial intelligence can help you transform dry genealogical facts into rich, engaging family stories. As new AI tools become increasingly accessible, family historians have powerful opportunities to enhance their writing, deepen their research, and share their heritage in meaningful new ways.
Learn how to use AI ethically and responsibly to overcome writer’s block, improve narrative flow, clarify complex historical contexts, and bring ancestors to life on the page. Whether you're writing a family history book, preparing blog posts, crafting ancestor biographies, or simply seeking to make your research more meaningful, this session will give you the tools and confidence to use AI in a way that enhances—not replaces—your skills as a storyteller.
Program at 10:30 - AI and Genealogy: Using AI to Create Better Family Stories and Narratives
Discover how artificial intelligence can help you transform dry genealogical facts into rich, engaging family stories. As new AI tools become increasingly accessible, family historians have powerful opportunities to enhance their writing, deepen their research, and share their heritage in meaningful new ways.
Learn how to use AI ethically and responsibly to overcome writer’s block, improve narrative flow, clarify complex historical contexts, and bring ancestors to life on the page. Whether you're writing a family history book, preparing blog posts, crafting ancestor biographies, or simply seeking to make your research more meaningful, this session will give you the tools and confidence to use AI in a way that enhances—not replaces—your skills as a storyteller.
- Experienced genealogists will be available to help from 11:30 to 1:00 pm:
- You get started researching your family tree
- Answer questions about a research problem
- Access records on FamilySearch that require access from an Affiliate Library.
- Use equipment to scan books, including large format and convert film to digital.
- Bring your favorite project and work on it in the company of other researchers.
DNA Special Interest Group - Zoom - August 11, 2026
The DNA Special Interest Group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at Haggard Library, 2501 Coit Rd, Plano, TX from 7-8:30 pm. Join us in person or via Zoom. Email [email protected] to join the email distribution list.
Our goal is to increase our knowledge related to using DNA results to further our genealogy research. This is a place to share ideas, ask questions, and learn about DNA. The group is open to all levels from beginner to advanced.
Our goal is to increase our knowledge related to using DNA results to further our genealogy research. This is a place to share ideas, ask questions, and learn about DNA. The group is open to all levels from beginner to advanced.
Check out the links on the DNA Special Interest Group page from prior discussions.
Plano Senior Center - August 26, 2026
Join us from 4:30-6:30 at Sam Johnson Recreation Center, 401 W 16th Street, Plano, TX 75075.
Individual help with your research.
Individual help with your research.
Plano Old City Cemetery Association
The Plano Old City Cemetery Association (POCCA) is a non-profit, non-perpetual care association founded by descendants of those buried within its boundaries and other interested parties. Its mission is to preserve, restore and protect the property, gravesites, monuments and other appurtenances within the Plano Old City Cemetery located at 12th and H Streets in Plano, Texas. Any person who supports the mission of the Association is eligible for membership. Membership is by application & payment of dues, download the membership form here.