St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "What the Heck Does That Say?"

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in genealogy is the seemingly illegible handwriting in our ancestors’ records. Professional genealogist Pam Vestal will address that challenge when she presents the webinar “What the Heck Does that Say? Overcoming Difficult Handwriting” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33 rd Ave S., St. Cloud). The presentation will also be available online and will be recorded for members and registered guests.

Whether you struggle to navigate colonial penmanship that doesn’t even look like English or wrestle with contemporary documents that are poorly written, a few good strategies can make all the difference. Participants will look at more than 20 techniques to help figure out what the chicken scratches on the page say as well as what the style of handwriting might reveal about our ancestors.

After a 20-year writing career, Pam Vestal turned her focus to genealogy. Vestal’s articles have been published in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, the National Genealogical Society Magazine and Forum magazine. She specializes in conducting genealogical research and then transforming the information into illustrated stories that even non-genealogists can enjoy.