Kitchen

Kitchen Round Table Talks

The Arkansas Genealogical Society is excited to announce the launch of a new Zoom forum called “Kitchen Round Table Talks.” Each month, we will select a genealogical topic or application to engage in a lively discussion among a group of participants online. To encourage participation, we limit the number of attendees, therefore, registration is required. In the event of a high demand for a specific topic, we can arrange an additional meeting to accommodate more participants.

We eagerly invite individuals to suggest topics of interest and encourage volunteers to lead discussions on subjects they are particularly passionate about. It is important to note that this initiative is a work in progress, and we anticipate making adjustments based on trial and error. Your participation and feedback are invaluable as we refine our approach.

To secure your spot, please register through the link below:

Not Your Mama’s Genealogy Education
Tue Jan 23, 6:30 pm
We are excited to have our own Mary Evans of Heritage Seekers’, as the presenter of the first Kitchen Roundtable Talk for 2025! As modern methods of research have changed, so has the way we educate ourselves on doing genealogy. Genealogy education has exploded in the past few years. Virtual genealogy classes have made it so much more possible!  Educational opportunities abound for any topic you can dream up.  Where are they?  How do you find them?  Can you afford them?  Don’t get short-changed because you didn’t know them.

Mary Russell-Evans has done genealogy since she was a small girl in the family barn in eastern Washington County & Carroll County, Arkansas. She spent hours in the barn in an old trunk full of land deeds, photographs, letters & family artifacts. She is the current keeper of this same trunk with all the contents- near & dear to her heart. In 1980, she decided to start interviewing – writing down- all the old folks while they were still “available.” Her “Arkansas History Commission” card is dated 1982. She has attended many FGS, IGHR, NGS, GRIP, SLIG, TIGR, App Gen, Family History Academy & other smaller state workshops. She started going to Heritage Seekers Genealogy Club (Little Rock) about 2004. Currently, she is secretary, gopher, all-purpose, email person. She also served on the AGS board briefly.

She’s had much pleasure from walking in the footsteps of the ancestors- some footsteps include: Natchez Trace, Cumberland Gap, Old Spanish Trail, Southwest Trail, Trail of Tears, Mountain Meadows Utah & Fort Russell (1812) in Illinois. Civil War sites include- Shiloh, Parker’s Crossroads, Stones River, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Little Rock, Wilson’s Creek, Mansfield & Pleasant Hill (Red River Expedition), Jenkins Ferry & Andersonville. Cowpens, Ninety-Six & King’s Mountain.

Mary is a lifelong, (self-taught) gardener- a FIFTH generation Arkansas (Ozarker) farmer/gardener. Raised on a chicken farm in Washington County, east of Springdale, where she learned to dig in the dirt. Farming and plants are in her DNA. Mary has been a floral designer/florist for 46 years, retail nursery 31 years. Her own part-time garden business became full-time 24 years ago. Mary has been a floral/garden instructor for adult education for 32 years. Besides gardens, her other interests are dogs, chickens, road trips, genealogy, history, national parks, wildlife refuges, botanical gardens, historic gardens, photography & the Civil War. Registration required.
The Five Primary Platforms for Arkansas Genealogical Research
Tue Feb 18, 6:30 pm
Russell Baker will be addressing the five primary platforms for Arkansas Genealogical Research. For those within the Arkansas genealogical community, Russell is a familiar figure. Affectionately known as “The Octogenarian Historian,” and with a remarkable 50 years of service on the AGS board and a background as the retired archival supervisor and former acting director of the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock, his expertise is unparalleled. He is the author of two of AGS’s most popular publications, the Arkansas Township Atlas and Arkansas Post Offices: From Memdag to Norsk, A Historical Directory 1832-1900. Over the years, he has frequently lectured nationally on genealogical research and theory. He is continually working on new publications and is continuing to make meaningful contributions as an esteemed board member. Registration required.

Have a question? Suggestion? Contact us through the form below: