The events that have taken place in my family this month have caused me to think about those things we include in our family histories.?

Are we leaving out the important details that make each person an individual? Are the vital statistics the only things we want to include in our book or journal?

Many readers are not interested in the birth, death and marriage dates, but they are interested in the people. We as genealogists consider vital statistics an important part of our history, but we also need to include those stories and events that make each person special.

Non genealogists usually want to know how members of the family lived their lives. Where their family lived, what they did for a living and who they married is far more interesting than the date they married or the date they died.

A compliment such as "I would enjoy reading about your research even if I was not interested in genealogy," means a great deal to me. The description of the methods used in the research and the results, has captured the interest of the reader. It is for this reason I read the newspaper articles about a family who has lived on the same land for generations, the family who has five or six living generations and the way they lived their lives; it is of special interest to me.???

Rachael, our granddaughter, has been touring New Zealand and sends us e-mails along her route. The latest adventure was titled "One of the Greatest Days of My Life." Her first (tandem) sky dive!

They began the process by watching videos to learn the correct procedure, and then they suited up and loaded the plane. Her suggestion is if you are going to do this, do it big.

As she watched each person's facial expression as they jumped, she wondered how she would react when her instructor pushed her to the exit.?

They waited for clearance from air traffic control to climb to 15,000 feet (the United States only allows jumps from 12,000 feet). Finally, Roy, her instructor, yells "Are you ready Mate?"

You could not see the ground through the clouds. Fear sets in and many thoughts and worries run through your head: "What if the chute does not open." What if I break my leg in the landing?

A touch of nausea mixed with a million butterflies overwhelm you and you want to turn back, but the instructor shoves you to the door. The second you jump out, your mind becomes clear.

Rachael said all of her worries about her family, job, future and concerns with the status of the chute just vanished. Her mind became clear for the first time she could ever recall. She lived for the moment, taking every second of the adrenaline like it is the air she breathes. She had touched the clouds and has a wonderful video to prove it.

I thanked her very much for not telling us before hand that she was planning this adventure. There are some things grandmothers and grandfathers are better off not knowing prior to the event.

Will I include this event when I write about Rachael? Absolutely, because this is the way she has chosen to live her life. When she is older and life seems to be dull she can look back and remember the day, "her mind became clear for the first time, as she jumped from the plane, over New Zealand, 15,000 feet up."

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OGS meeting

The first Oklahoma Genealogical Society meeting will be April 3 in the new Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. Laird Ave. in Oklahoma City.

The OHC building is located northeast of the Capitol building and has a large parking lot. Exiting from Northeast 23rd Street, Laird Avenue is between Lincoln Boulevard and Kelley Avenue. The parking lot also can be accessed from north Lincoln Boulevard by turning at the stop light at Northeast 28th Street and going to Phillips then south. Enter the main door and turn right to go to the Chesapeake Event Center for our meeting.?

The first Monday of each month is free admission to the museum, so plan to come early and take a walk through Oklahoma's great history. The museum closes 5 p.m., so come to the meeting area for coffee, cookies and conversation.

Volunteer genealogists will be available to provide help with your research questions or brick walls. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and the speakers will be volunteer genealogists of the Daughters of the American Revolution lecturing on "How to Access 18,000,000 Names and Other DAR Records on the DAR Web Pages."

The Oklahoma Genealogical Society general meetings take place 6 p.m. the first Monday of each month and are free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail okgensoc@aol.com. The OGS Web site is www.rootsweb .com/~okgs/.



Gala grand opening

The gala grand opening of the Oklahoma Research Center (at the new building) will be April 17. If you would like an invitation to this exciting event, e-mail your request to OKGenSoc@aol.com.

On your request include your name(s) and mailing address. (If you have already sent in your request, there is no need to send another.)



Ancestor fair and seminar

The 2006 Grand Lake Ancestor Fair and Seminar will take place April 22 in Grove. Russell P. Baker will be the speaker at a seminar and there will be many other activities for the family researcher.?

The fair is at the Grove Community Center, 104 W. 3rd St., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the Delaware County Genealogical Society hosting the event.

Russell P. Baker is the archival manager for the Arkansas History Commission and State Archives in Little Rock. He is a genealogist, former president of the Arkansas Genealogical Society and has served on the society's board for almost 30 years. Numbered among his publications are "Historical Directory of Arkansas Post Officers 1832-1971" and the "Arkansas Township Atlas," both recently revised and reprinted.

Admission for Russell P. Baker's Seminar and all activities is $20 if registration is received by April 15 ($25 thereafter). There are various prices for other events, including a $3 entrance fee except for the seminar. For additional information, e-mail the Delaware County Genealogical Society at dcgsinc DCGS?Ancestor Fair, 1140 NEO Loop, Grove, OK 74344.

When sending in queries or sharing information, write to Relatively Speaking, P.O. Drawer 1058, Norman, OK 73070 or e-mail Darlene Shawn at Djshawn636@aol.com.