Presentations at Upcoming Meetings
November 2026
DATE: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Lorene Coe
TOPIC: Writing Personal and Family Histories
This class will introduce you to how to begin by gathering your family tree information.
We’ll explore websites and other sources for finding memories. We will discuss options
to help you decide what style you want to write and the differences between compiling a
personal and family history. You’ll learn tools that are useful for writing and publishing
your history. We’ll then have some fun using AI and creative activities with a short
demonstration. We’ll wrap up with questions and answers.
Speaker Bio
Lorene Coe is a member of the Idaho Genealogical Society. After retiring
from banking, she earned a Certificate in Genealogical Research from IAP Career
College. As a professional genealogist and owner of “Piecing Your Family Together,”
she offers personalized research and guidance in writing family histories. She also loves
to explore the culture and places of her ancestors. Combining her passion for genealogy
and family history she recently started "Family Roots and Modern Routes Travel," as an
Independent Travel Agent creating custom-designed heritage-focused ancestral trips. She
was recently called to serve as a Family History Consultant for her church. Originally
from Ohio, she and her husband Curtis currently live in Boise
January 2027
DATE: Saturday, January 9, 2027, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Gail Shatter Blankenau
TOPIC: Keeping Up With the Smiths and Joneses: Researching Common Surnames
If you are stymied by your ancestors with common names, you need a new approach. Although these families present special problems, there are techniques you can use to zero in on your ancestor as an individual—no matter what his or her name was.
Speaker Bio
Gail Shaffer Blankenau is a professional historian, genealogist, speaker, and author. She first became interested in family history by looking for treasures in the attic when she was growing up. As a teenager, she started labeling old family photographs and things progressed from there. Over the years, she has tackled a wide variety of research problems and researched a wide variety of repositories in the U.S. and abroad, working in French, German, and Spanish.
All monthly meeting presentations are free and open to the public, both in person and via Zoom. Society members receive meeting notifications that include the pertinent Zoom information. Nonmembers may request the Zoom link during the week each meeting is held by sending an email to