For 56 years, the Corry Area Historical Society has been collecting, preserving and documenting artifacts and records of Erie County's second city. Its collections include a refurbished Climax Locomotive Engine, one of the powerful steam engines made in Corry for use in logging operations and other rugged industries. Building up the Historical society collections led to extensive genealogy research. The Society now offers occasional classes in how to safely restore gravestones (DO NOT USE SHAVING CREAM, CHALK OR DETERGENT). Her research has led Lisa Puckly to become a specialized genealogist who helps adopted people find their birth families. Loretta Beckerink and Lisa Puckly of the Society will present to ESGR members at our meeting July 13 via the Zoom online application. 

Speaker Ari Wilkins on the valuable genealogical information often available in the information that funeral homes collect. Funeral home records often contain extensive information on the family's genealogy, church affiliations, business activities and other topics valuable to family history researchers. Wilkins, a graduate of Louisiana State University, has been researching family history for more than 20 years. She works at the Dallas Public Library and teaches genealogy classes there. She specializes in African American research, and has spoken at the National Genealogical Society, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, Roots Tech, the American Library Association and many local societies.