MembershipMembership 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. If membership isn't for you but you enjoy our webinars, please consider donating to Genealogy Friends.
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Upcoming Saturday Seminars - Hybrid
April 18, 2026 - " Inventing America - Records of the US Patent Office" by Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL, FUGA - Americans have always been tinkerers and inventors. Records of the U.S. Patent Office can enrich any family's history. Where can those records be found today, and what can they tell us about our families?
Speaker - Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree. She writes, teaches and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical topics, providing expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. A Colorado native with roots deep in the American south on her mother’s side and entirely in Germany on her father’s side, she holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark. Before she retired, she worked as a newspaper reporter, trade association writer, legal investigator, defense attorney, federal prosecutor, law editor and, for more than 20 years, as an adjunct member of the faculty at Rutgers Law School.
She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society and numerous state and regional genealogical societies. Named a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association in 2025, she received the 2015 UGA Silver Tray Award and the 2017 Award of Excellence from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, where she now serves as a member of the NGSQ editorial board.
An internationally-known lecturer and course coordinator and faculty member at numerous genealogical institutes, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer® from the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. Her award-winning blog appears at The Legal Genealogist® website (https://www.legalgenealogist.com).
Speaker - Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree. She writes, teaches and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical topics, providing expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. A Colorado native with roots deep in the American south on her mother’s side and entirely in Germany on her father’s side, she holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark. Before she retired, she worked as a newspaper reporter, trade association writer, legal investigator, defense attorney, federal prosecutor, law editor and, for more than 20 years, as an adjunct member of the faculty at Rutgers Law School.
She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society and numerous state and regional genealogical societies. Named a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association in 2025, she received the 2015 UGA Silver Tray Award and the 2017 Award of Excellence from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, where she now serves as a member of the NGSQ editorial board.
An internationally-known lecturer and course coordinator and faculty member at numerous genealogical institutes, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer® from the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. Her award-winning blog appears at The Legal Genealogist® website (https://www.legalgenealogist.com).
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 - April 2, 2026
April Topic - Researching a Revolutionary War Ancestor
Join us via Zoom — We are a group of genealogy enthusiasts who get together to share information and help each other.
Some of these meetings require registration. The Zoom registration link will be sent out by email the week before the meeting. An email will be sent with the Zoom link and a separate email with the materials for the discussion.
Email [email protected] to join the email distribution list.
Join us via Zoom — We are a group of genealogy enthusiasts who get together to share information and help each other.
Some of these meetings require registration. The Zoom registration link will be sent out by email the week before the meeting. An email will be sent with the Zoom link and a separate email with the materials for the discussion.
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 on April 7, 2026. Email [email protected] for Zoom info and to be added to the new DNA email list.
Research At The Library - April 11, 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 - Getting the Most Out of a Census Record
Census records are one of the most important types of genealogical records, containing a wealth of information you may not find in vital records and allowing you to track your ancestors' progress over time. We'll do a deep dive into census records and learn some tips and tricks for extracting as much information as possible from each record.
Program at 10:30 - Getting the Most Out of a Census Record
Census records are one of the most important types of genealogical records, containing a wealth of information you may not find in vital records and allowing you to track your ancestors' progress over time. We'll do a deep dive into census records and learn some tips and tricks for extracting as much information as possible from each record.
- 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 - Hybrid - April 14, 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 - April 22, 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.